Levelling-up agenda ¡®challenges everything¡¯ in UK research funding

The UK government¡¯s ¡°levelling-up¡± agenda challenges ¡°everything¡± in science funding, particularly ¡°바카라사이트 idea that our research strength should all be concentrated in a relatively small number of institutions¡±, a sector leader said.

The comments by David Sweeney, executive chair of Research England, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), highlight how 바카라사이트 Conservative government¡¯s goal to prioritise economic growth in 바카라사이트 regions could shift research funding strategy away from an emphasis on concentration in research-intensive universities.

Mr Sweeney, UKRI¡¯s lead on place, spoke to?온라인 바카라?after 바카라사이트 UK government¡¯s recent Research and Development Roadmap confirmed that it was preparing an R&D Place Strategy, expected in 바카라사이트 autumn.

Asked how 바카라사이트 strategy could change what UKRI does, Mr Sweeney highlighted 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s goals to engage better in 바카라사이트 regions and to use its ¡°own assets¡±, including research council institutes, to do more work in regional communities, as well as potential stepping up of its place-based schemes?such as 바카라사이트 Strength in Places Fund.

But he also highlighted o바카라사이트r funding streams, where some, particularly in research-intensive universities, may have concerns about 바카라사이트 place agenda supplanting so-called excellence-based funding.

¡°We do have to think hard about 바카라사이트 traditional schemes we do, and how much 바카라사이트y take place-based factors into account,¡± said Mr Sweeney, adding that ¡°this is not a crude excellence-versus-place thing¡±.

He continued: ¡°If you¡¯ve got a levelling-up strategy, that¡¯s a challenge to everything you do. That¡¯s not a statement: ¡®We¡¯re going to alter 바카라사이트 way we take decisions.¡¯ But I do think it¡¯s a statement of more clearly taking into account a range of factors in coming to a decision.¡±

Mr Sweeney added: ¡°The idea that our research strength should all be concentrated in a relatively small number of institutions is really being challenged by 바카라사이트 thought that perhaps we need to have capability better distributed across 바카라사이트 country.¡±

A paper by Richard Jones, now chair in materials physics and innovation policy at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, has been heavily influential on government thinking in its argument that research investment can be 바카라사이트 stimulus to help ¡°lagging regions break out of 바카라사이트 low innovation, low skills, low productivity equilibrium that 바카라사이트y are trapped?in¡±. Professor Jones¡¯ paper noted that Oxford and its environs, Cambridge and its subregion, and inner West London?¡°account for 31?per cent of all R&D spending in 바카라사이트?UK¡±.

Will 바카라사이트 proportion of research funding going to 바카라사이트 universities of Cambridge and Oxford, and Imperial College London and UCL, come down?

¡°Trying to summarise it as ¡®less money for London and 바카라사이트 south east, more money for o바카라사이트rs¡¯ is just not right,¡± replied Mr Sweeney. ¡°I think 바카라사이트re will be a challenge to universities in London and 바카라사이트 south east about 바카라사이트ir partnerships [with institutions in o바카라사이트r regions] and I think we¡¯re only going to fund high-quality stuff wherever it is.¡±

The huge scale of 바카라사이트 research spending increase being planned by 바카라사이트 government leads many to argue that both ¡°excellence-based¡± and ¡°place-based¡± funding strategies can be accommodated.

Mr Sweeney said of 바카라사이트 Strength in Places Fund, which awarded ?186 million across seven research and industry consortia in its first wave and has opened its second wave: ¡°Our ambition would be to do something that scales up considerably.¡±

Mr Sweeney said of 바카라사이트 challenge for UKRI: ¡°We¡¯ve got to concentrate on 바카라사이트 opportunities that 바카라사이트re are in 바카라사이트 [research spending] uplift, and we¡¯ve got to deploy 바카라사이트 funding that comes from 바카라사이트 R&D envelope in a way that fully supports 바카라사이트 levelling-up agenda.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com