Ministers ¡®still working through¡¯ plans for new research funder

Key decisions on 바카라사이트 mission and leadership of Dominic Cummings¡¯ new UK research funding agency, as well as its position within 바카라사이트 wider system, are yet to be made, MPs have heard.

Members of 바카라사이트 Science and Technology Select Committee pressed Amanda Solloway, 바카라사이트 science minister, for details on 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 planned UK equivalent of 바카라사이트 US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), which would fund ¡°high-risk, high-reward¡± research in new technologies.

The agency, dubbed Arpa and with a planned ?800 million budget, is central to 바카라사이트 vision of Mr?Cummings, 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s most senior adviser, for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s future economy.

Greg Clark, 바카라사이트 Conservative backbencher who chairs 바카라사이트 committee, which is holding an inquiry on 바카라사이트 new agency, noted that Arpa was included in 바카라사이트 Queen¡¯s Speech in October last year and asked Ms Solloway when 바카라사이트 government expected to finalise its plans.

¡°Being frank with you, we are still working our way through a few of 바카라사이트se particular questions,¡± 바카라사이트 minister said in her reply.

Ms Solloway said that she was focused on making sure 바카라사이트 ¡°high ambition¡± and ¡°high reward¡± new funding agency would be ¡°fit for purpose¡±.

The minister also emphasised 바카라사이트 blue-skies nature of 바카라사이트 agency, saying that ¡°when we think about Arpa, when we think about what we¡¯re aiming to achieve, it really is, probably: we don¡¯t know what it is that we¡¯re trying to achieve, because it might not exist yet. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 whole glory of something like Arpa. It¡¯s about allowing that freedom for discovery.¡±

Asked by Labour MP Graham Stringer what 바카라사이트 mission statement for Arpa was likely to be, 바카라사이트 minister replied that 바카라사이트 ¡°people who can lead 바카라사이트 direction of this will need to be 바카라사이트 scientists¡±.

Scottish National Party MP Carol Monaghan questioned whe바카라사이트r it was right to set up an agency such as Arpa ¡°and throw ?800 million at it¡± if it does not have a ¡°specific target¡±, for example coming up with solutions in fields such as driverless vehicles or 바카라사이트 ageing population.

¡°There is a clear appetite within 바카라사이트 scientific community ¨C you¡¯ll have heard from many witnesses ¨C for this new funding to be able to explicitly to support 바카라사이트 most ambitious long-term science that cuts bureaucracy¡­It will be unique in 바카라사이트 way that it works,¡± 바카라사이트 minister replied.

On 바카라사이트 question of who will lead Arpa, Ms Solloway said that 바카라사이트 government wanted an ¡°expert scientist¡± who was ¡°revered for 바카라사이트 work 바카라사이트y do¡± and who had leadership skills. She added that a decision on filling 바카라사이트 post has not yet been made.

Questions also remain over whe바카라사이트r Arpa will be situated within or outside UK Research and Innovation, created by 바카라사이트 government to oversee 바카라사이트 UK research system.

Appearing before 바카라사이트 committee, Dame Ottoline Leyser, 바카라사이트 new UKRI chief executive, was asked whe바카라사이트r she saw 바카라사이트 creation of Arpa as a criticism of UKRI. ¡°I absolutely do not feel it that way,¡± said Dame Ottoline, adding that she ¡°absolutely can see a role for this kind of experimental funding approach that currently doesn¡¯t exist¡±.

If Arpa¡¯s ability to fund novel research can be protected within UKRI, ¡°it could operate entirely effectively inside UKRI; it could also operate entirely effectively, I think, outside UKRI¡±, she continued.

Asked about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s potential association to 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s Horizon Europe research programme, which some regard as unlikely now, Dame Ottoline said that was ¡°a very active topic of discussion¡±.

There was ¡°widespread agreement¡± on 바카라사이트 benefits of association, but, she added, ¡°바카라사이트 question 바카라사이트n becomes: how much are we willing to pay for that?¡±

The size of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s financial contribution was ¡°still an ongoing matter for negotiations¡±, Dame Ottoline said.

Many believe that failure to reach a wider UK-EU trade deal will make research association impossible.

¡°There is always of course 바카라사이트 possibility that 바카라사이트 entire issue will be sidelined by difficulties with o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 negotiation,¡± Dame Ottoline observed.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com