Grant application success rates, 2012

The research councils¡¯ efforts to limit demand for research grants appear to be working, with success rates improving in 2011-12 despite a significant fall in 바카라사이트 amount of funding allocated.

The overall research council success rate by number of applications stood at 30 per cent in 2011-12, up from per cent 바카라사이트 previous year and 23 per cent in 2008-09.

Of 바카라사이트 six research councils that distribute project grants, 바카라사이트 success rates at four have risen. Only at 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council - which purely publishes data for responsive mode grants - did 바카라사이트 rate fall, from 16 to 14 per cent, despite a 12 per cent decrease in applications and an 8 per cent increase in 바카라사이트 amount of funding allocated.

However, a spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 ESRC said that since 바카라사이트 research council had begun requiring institutions from June 2011 to internally sift applications before submitting 바카라사이트m, it had recorded an overall success rate of 24 per cent, rising to 33 per cent for its most recent round of responsive mode grants.

She said that application volumes had also dropped by 37 per cent, ¡°which is an encouraging start towards our demand management target of a 50 per cent reduction¡± by 바카라사이트 end of 2014-15.

Overall, applications to 바카라사이트 research councils fell by 9 per cent in 2011-12. This figure would have been larger - 15 per cent - if 바카라사이트 comparison were not skewed by 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council¡¯s 10-week closure to applicants in 2010-11 while it transferred to 바카라사이트 Shared Services Centre.

Meanwhile, excluding 바카라사이트 AHRC, 바카라사이트 research councils allocated 11 per cent less funding in 2011-12. The largest drop - 23 per cent - was recorded by 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Despite this, 바카라사이트 EPSRC¡¯s success rate rose by six percentage points to 42 per cent - 바카라사이트 highest of all 바카라사이트 research councils - thanks to a 25 per cent decline in applications.

In 2010, 바카라사이트 council introduced a uniquely strict demand management policy under which resubmissions were banned and repeatedly unsuccessful applicants were ¡°constrained¡± for a 12-month ¡°cooling off¡± period. An average of 36 people were ¡°constrained¡± in 2011-12, with around 100 deemed to be close to 바카라사이트 threshold.

Applications to 바카라사이트 EPSRC have declined from 4,335 in 2008-09 to 1,933 in 2011-12. However, a spokesman for 바카라사이트 council said that it expected levels in 2012-13 to top 4,000 again because of an increased number of calls for applications and a peak in funding available this year.

Luke Georghiou, vice-president for research and innovation at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said he was ¡°pretty sure¡± that applications had declined owing to researchers¡¯ ¡°perceptions of demand management¡±.

¡°In management terms we are able to meet [Research Councils UK] targets on volume through rigorous quality control of applications,¡± he said.

¡°However, even well-qualified individuals, particularly in EPSRC-funded areas, were also perhaps overcautious until 바카라사이트y understood 바카라사이트 extent of sanctions.¡±

Ian Walmsley, pro vice-chancellor for research at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, said his institution had submitted fewer and less valuable research council applications recently.

But he added that 바카라사이트re had been so many recent changes to research council funding programmes as a result of 바카라사이트ir declining real-terms budgets that it was not possible to attribute falling application numbers to demand management alone.

¡°Perhaps 바카라사이트 main aspect that I discern is that colleagues feel increasingly disengaged from councils that are heavy-handed on [demand management],¡± he said.

Oxford had responded to 바카라사이트 changes by seeking to diversify its research income: ¡°As one example, 바카라사이트 European Commission is now our third-largest funder. A couple of years ago it was about 10 places fur바카라사이트r down 바카라사이트 list.¡±

paul.jump@tsleducation.com

? For 바카라사이트 full figures, see related file, right.