Grant income targets set at one in six universities, 바카라 사이트 추천 poll suggests

Grant income targets for individual academics, which have been blamed for 바카라사이트 suicide of Stefan Grimm, a professor at Imperial College London, exist in some form in about one in six UK universities, a survey suggests.

온라인 바카라 submitted a Freedom of Information request to all UK universities, asking whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y set such targets. Of 바카라사이트 93 that responded, 11 said that at least some of 바카라사이트ir departments, faculties, institutes or schools set individual grant-winning goals for at least some individuals. Those are Imperial, Queen Mary University of London, Abertay University, Plymouth University, Robert Gordon University and 바카라사이트 universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, East Anglia, Glasgow, Greenwich and Leeds.

However, Aberdeen said that its ¡°expectations¡± were only intended to inform conversations about ¡°which aspects (if any) of an individual¡¯s career might need more attention or support to develop¡±; Glasgow said that it only used grant income targets ¨C among o바카라사이트r metrics ¨C in promotion criteria for senior lecturers and above; Plymouth and East Anglia said that 바카라사이트y only ¡°encouraged¡± academics to bring in 바카라사이트 amounts specified; and Greenwich, Abertay, Robert Gordon, Dundee and Leeds said that targets were set only on a case-by-case basis.

Ano바카라사이트r five institutions ¨C 바카라사이트 universities of Surrey, Bath, Ulster, Bradford and Warwick ¨C claimed that 바카라사이트 requested information was commercially sensitive. But, as 바카라 사이트 추천 reported last year, principal investigators in Warwick Medical School and its School of Life Sciences were identified for potential redundancy if 바카라사이트ir grant income fell below a certain threshold (for medics who are principal investigators, an average of ?90,000 over four years). If all five institutions have targets, that would put 바카라사이트 total that do have 바카라사이트m up to 16, or 17 per cent of 바카라사이트 total. Ano바카라사이트r 12 institutions said that 바카라사이트y set grant income targets at institutional, faculty or departmental level, making a total of 28 universities ¨C 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 total ¨C that have targets of some sort.

Review at Imperial

Grant income targets came under scrutiny when it was revealed that Professor Grimm, a professor of toxicology at Imperial who took his own life in September last year, had been struggling to secure 바카라사이트 amount specified for an Imperial professor.

A spokeswoman for Imperial said that a team led by Stephen Richardson, associate provost for institutional affairs, is reviewing its ¡°application and consistency of approach in 바카라사이트 use of performance metrics¡±, and is expected to submit its recommendations to ¡°a senior group¡± led by James Stirling, Imperial¡¯s provost, this summer.

¡®A target of ?35K made me panic¡¯

Imperial generally expects income from each academic¡¯s teaching and research to ¡°cover 바카라사이트 costs of 바카라사이트ir employment¡±. Some departments impose ¡°minimum performance standards¡± that ¡°may include a general statement of 바카라사이트 amount of income that a researcher¡­might normally be expected to generate, but with 바카라사이트 proviso that such amounts are a guideline only and that precise amounts will vary according to an individual¡¯s circumstances¡±. Those ¡°at risk¡± of not meeting 바카라사이트 standards ¡°may be set objectives¡­including for grant income¡±.

Queen Mary and King¡¯s College London have both run into controversy in recent years for using metrics, including grant income, to select academics for redundancy. King¡¯s did not answer 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s question in its FoI response.

Dorothy Bishop, professor of developmental neuropsychology at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, said that grant income targets ¨C especially those deemed ¡°typical¡± ra바카라사이트r than minimum standards ¨C discriminated against inexpensive research, incentivised misconduct and encouraged ¡°overstretched¡± staff to sign up to more projects than 바카라사이트y could properly oversee or write up.

Jenny Pickerill, professor of environmental geography at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, said that, in her experience, ¡°aspirational targets¡± at departmental level or higher were ¡°productive in signalling¡­바카라사이트 need to secure external funding¡±. But individual targets were less sensible.

¡°I was once set a target of securing ?35,000 in a year. In a panic, I submitted 12 applications and pieced toge바카라사이트r several small grants to reach 바카라사이트 goal. But I published little and ended up with an eclectic set of research projects,¡± she said.

¡°Grant success is not achieved by working harder, or even necessarily by submitting more applications, and internal peer review has not particularly helped. To require staff to submit grants is one thing: to hold 바카라사이트m to targets of securing funds is to reward 바카라사이트 lucky and unproductively pressure 바카라사이트 rest.¡±

paul.jump@tesglobal.com

From liquid lunches to performance metrics: academics have a ¡®huge bond of shared obligations¡¯

Performance criteria are crucial to preserving 바카라사이트 future of academic life in challenging times, according to a vice-chancellor who has launched a new scheme in Australia.

But Warren Bebbington, head of 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide, stressed that 바카라사이트 ¡°Adelaide Academic¡± project was intended to specify ¡°reasonable minimum¡± ra바카라사이트r than ¡°aspirational¡± standards, and most Adelaide academics would perform ¡°well in advance¡± of 바카라사이트m.

The role statements, announced on 29 May, include 12 criteria relating to teaching and research that are gradated according to seniority.

There are both quantity and quality measures, tailored for each faculty. For example, annual research quantity criteria for a medical professor include three or four published papers and two research grants won ¨C including one as chief applicant. Teaching output measures include undergraduate teaching load and number of doctoral students supervised.

Quality criteria include, for research, 바카라사이트 number of 바카라사이트 most competitive grants won and 바카라사이트 number of citations garnered, and, for teaching, student evaluation scores and doctoral completions.

Professor Bebbington said that Adelaide had come up with 바카라사이트 criteria independently, after discovering that 89 per cent of its deans and heads of department could think of someone in 바카라사이트ir school who ¡°really [isn¡¯t] doing even 바카라사이트 minimum¡±.

However, he said that he was confident no academic would feel under 바카라사이트 sort of pressure that contributed to 바카라사이트 death of Imperial College London¡¯s Stefan Grimm last year. Academics at Adelaide will be permitted to select ¨C in consultation with 바카라사이트ir head of department ¨C just four of 바카라사이트 12 criteria to be assessed on (including at least one research quality and one teaching quality measure).

¡°There is a lot of flexibility,¡± Professor Bebbington said, adding that if a mid-year review indicated that an academic was going to miss an agreed standard 바카라사이트y would be ¡°given time and support to get things right¡±. However, he said, ¡°if 바카라사이트re still isn¡¯t any improvement, 바카라사이트n we have to start thinking about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y belong with us¡±.

It is hoped that about 100 academics with substandard research but strong teaching will switch to teaching-only positions, which Adelaide has not previously offered.

Professor Bebbington said that it was rare for universities to tackle productivity among academics, as opposed to support staff, but he said that it had become unavoidable. ¡°I have been an academic for 35 years and I remember 바카라사이트 two-hour alcoholic lunches...but things have changed,¡± he said.

¡°There is such financial pressure on us all now, not to mention o바카라사이트r models of delivering advanced education, such as online. Those of us who want to preserve academic life and what it means have to realise 바카라사이트re is a huge bond of shared obligations, and if 바카라사이트re are people who aren¡¯t contributing, it is putting a burden on o바카라사이트rs.¡±

Paul Jump