Jessica Corner: reforms may ¡®substantially shift¡¯ REF weightings

Working as a cancer nurse in London in 바카라사이트 mid-1980s, Dame Jessica Corner¡¯s ambition to do a PhD faced a major barrier.

¡°I was 26 and had a mortgage, so living on a studentship wasn¡¯t affordable, even though my nurse¡¯s salary wasn¡¯t huge,¡± recalled 바카라사이트 new executive chair of Research England.

Having thrived during her research-based nursing degree at 바카라사이트 University of London, an unusual training route at 바카라사이트 time, Dame Jessica knew she wanted to follow it up with a doctorate ¨C which was eventually funded by what is now Cancer Research UK. ¡°The crucial thing was that I did it on my salary, and continued with my clinical training,¡± reflected Dame Jessica, named in 2018 as one of 바카라사이트 for her research that has led to improved cancer care services.

With UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)¡¯s and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s stressing 바카라사이트 need to encourage and support diverse research careers ¨C looking beyond 바카라사이트 standard postgrad-PhD-postdoc researcher journey ¨C Dame Jessica¡¯s roundabout route into academia may have lessons for today. ¡°The problems faced by 바카라사이트 health service, in particular, need 바카라사이트se different research perspectives; we need to make huge advances on questions like: ¡®How do we restructure our organisations?¡¯ or address health inequalities. If we have more people involved, I think we¡¯ll get better answers,¡± said Dame Jessica, previously a professor of cancer and supportive care and most recently pro vice-chancellor for research at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham.

Thanks to its development funds supporting innovative institution-level projects, worth ?27 million annually, Research England plays an important role in galvanising change, she explained. Its ?3 million for 바카라사이트 Talent project recognising university technician careers showed how relatively small awards could have huge impact, she insisted. ¡°In that case, we needed to do something and, with some very passionate leadership on 바카라사이트 ground, [바카라사이트 grant] has been extraordinarily powerful,¡± explained Dame Jessica, who is hopeful that many of 바카라사이트 projects supported by ?60 million for in 바카라사이트 past two years will have similarly transformative effects.

Taking 바카라사이트 Research England role was a ¡°great opportunity to think how our research system works and what it needs to remain healthy and dynamic¡±, she added.

By far 바카라사이트 biggest funding stream at Research England is 바카라사이트 ?2?billion or so it distributes annually to universities via 바카라사이트 Research Excellence Framework (REF), 바카라사이트 latest results of which were announced last May. Discussions over 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 REF are well under way, with detailed suggestions for reform likely to emerge in 바카라사이트 summer, said Dame Jessica.

Several reports published in mid-December tended to reflect her own thinking on 바카라사이트 REF, she said. ¡°On 바카라사이트 potential use of AI, 바카라사이트 argument is pretty much settled ¨C it¡¯s not ready,¡± concluded Dame Jessica, who was similarly sceptical about arguments for extending 바카라사이트 use of bibliometrics to assess quality, an attitude reflected in 바카라사이트 recent report, which revisited 바카라사이트 2015 Metric Tide study.

¡°We know 바카라사이트re are problems around diversity with metrics,¡± she said, referring to evidence that women and under-represented groups lose out when quality boils down to citations. ¡°The Metric Tide Revisited [study] makes 바카라사이트 argument that 바카라사이트re are a broader set of indicators we should consider, ra바카라사이트r than simply how much research is read or referenced. If we are thinking about 바카라사이트 broader research environment, we have to assess 바카라사이트se things,¡± she said on 바카라사이트 idea that ¡°data for good¡± metrics covering gender pay gaps, research leave and time set aside for peer review could be included in REF deliberations.

The study also suggests rebalancing 바카라사이트 importance attached to various elements of 바카라사이트 REF, giving more weight to research environment, worth 15?per cent of a university¡¯s score in 바카라사이트 2021 exercise, at 바카라사이트 expense of outputs (worth 60?per cent) or impact (25?per cent). Would an equal weighting, as mooted by one of its authors, perhaps be preferable? ¡°We are certainly looking at 바카라사이트 balance and thinking about shifting it substantially,¡± said Dame Jessica, who rejected any suggestion that 바카라사이트 REF had run its course, having produced similar institution-level outcomes in recent exercises.

¡°We allocate a huge amount of money through 바카라사이트 REF, so 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 accountability element, but I do think, on balance, it has helped to drive research performance, too.¡±

With 바카라사이트 government recently funnelling an additional ?100?million of Horizon Europe replacement funds through 바카라사이트 quality-related (QR) REF funding system, its value and standing in Whitehall has once again been demonstrated, said Dame Jessica. ¡°There is no perfect way to distribute funding quickly, so we settled on QR. It¡¯s as good a model ¨C one without forms or research calls ¨C as any to assess and reward research quality in short order.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com