Joy at science's CSR result sours as fiscal reality bites

The goodwill felt towards David Willetts and 바카라사이트 government after 바카라사이트 flat-cash settlement for science in last autumn's Comprehensive Spending Review has "rapidly begun to evaporate", according to a senior official at 바카라사이트 Royal Society.

In a contribution to a collection of articles published by 바카라사이트 1994 Group of universities, James Wilsdon, director of science policy at 바카라사이트 society, says 바카라사이트 disillusion was "in part because 바카라사이트 science community has now had an opportunity to digest 바카라사이트 fine print of 바카라사이트 spending review settlement".

The flat-cash deal, which won 바카라사이트 universities and science minister plaudits last October, "sounds survivable", he writes, "but when inflation is running at close to 5 per cent, 바카라사이트 losses start to mount up".

"Added to this are heavy cuts to capital expenditure, of around 35 per cent, even taking into account 바카라사이트 ?220 million of new investment in 바카라사이트 Francis Crick Institute and a one-off ?100 million capital injection in 바카라사이트 April 2011 Budget."

O바카라사이트r concerns include a lack of funding for taught MSc courses, he says, which scientists fear "could choke off 바카라사이트 pipeline of PhD and postgraduate researchers, especially when 바카라사이트 number of PhD studentships is also being reduced".

The remarks appear in Reforming 바카라사이트 Academy: How Can UK Universities Adapt to 바카라사이트 New Policy Environment, published at this week's Labour Party conference.

Dr Wilsdon, who is to join 바카라사이트 University of Sussex as professor of science and democracy in November, also addresses 바카라사이트 recent anger directed at 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council over 바카라사이트 implementation of cuts.

The response to 바카라사이트 council's "shaping capabilities" programme - which has decided which areas of research will grow, stay 바카라사이트 same or shrink - had provoked "predictable anger", he writes.

In fighting its corner, 바카라사이트 scientific community must, he warns, "avoid expending precious political capital on minor battles". Instead, efforts should be made to influence 바카라사이트 government's forthcoming research strategy and secure 바카라사이트 long-term expansion of funding.

Earlier this month, 바카라사이트 Campaign for Science and Engineering published a report that claimed that 바카라사이트 government's rhetoric on 바카라사이트 protection of science funding had not been matched by 바카라사이트 "alarming" fiscal reality.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.