Funding deal likely for research centres

A funding deal for eight interdisciplinary research centres allied to 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is close to being finalised following a meeting between centre directors and EPSRC officials last week.

An agreement is likely to mean that after 바카라사이트 ten-year lifespan originally envisaged for 바카라사이트 IRCs, which runs out in 1998, 바카라사이트 centres would receive only "core funding" from 바카라사이트 EPSRC for essential research activities.

A sticking point between 바카라사이트 IRCs and 바카라사이트 EPSRC is 바카라사이트 level of future support. The EPSRC would like to see 바카라사이트 level set at 10 to 20 per cent of an IRC's total budget. Current support for an IRC from 바카라사이트 EPSRC averages around 50 per cent of total budget with a maximum of 65 per cent.

One or two IRCs will probably be wound up or reorientated because of a lack of industrial interest. The superconductivity IRC at Cambridge University is widely thought to be particularly vulnerable in any future shake out.

Bruce Joyce, director of 바카라사이트 semiconductors IRC at Imperial College, said that infrastructure support from EPSRC is essential for 바카라사이트 centres to operate effectively.

He said: "Given 바카라사이트 investment of public money in IRCs over 바카라사이트 ten-year lifespan - provided that 바카라사이트 subject is still important and 바카라사이트 quality of work is internationally respected - it would be foolish to let IRCs disappear completely. Without some level of core funding this will happen. Core funding of 20 to 25 per cent of budget sounds about right although different centres may require different levels of support."