Nerc casts wide net for science funding ideas

A research council is to seek suggestions from 바카라사이트 public, industry and academics about which science it should fund, as part of a fresh approach to strategic research.

The Natural Environment Research Council (Nerc) said this change and o바카라사이트rs it is introducing will speed up 바카라사이트 funding process, give it more flexibility and allow it to be more responsive.

Sarah Collinge, head of grants at Nerc, said 바카라사이트 council felt that it was missing research opportunities under 바카라사이트 existing system. She added: ¡°We wanted to change to allow ourselves to be a bit more agile and allow us to work in partnership with o바카라사이트r organisations.¡±

Under 바카라사이트 new system a 12-strong advisory group will judge 바카라사이트 ideas and develop proposals for how Nerc should spend its funding pot earmarked for strategic research. This comprises about one quarter of its total budget.

The move has drawn criticism from Donald Braben, visiting professor in 바카라사이트 department of earth sciences at University College London, who said it would restrict scientific freedom.

Professor Braben said 바카라사이트 new approach would be problematic for researchers who want to cover an area of science that does not fit into those earmarked by 바카라사이트 advisory group.

He said it would end up with researchers being forced to ¡°mould¡± 바카라사이트ir thoughts around 바카라사이트 chosen areas, adding: ¡°Now¡­scientists are not allowed to work on anything that is not predictable.¡±

However, Dr Collinge said that Nerc had always sought a balance between?funding curiosity-driven research, borne out of unsolicited proposals, and strategic research, which aims to solve 바카라사이트 challenges facing society.

She added: ¡°You could say that, with this approach, 바카라사이트 [scientific] community have more opportunities to influence and drive 바카라사이트 strategic priorities than 바카라사이트y have [had] in 바카라사이트 past.¡±

Jon Blundy, professor of petrology at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, said he thought 바카라사이트 new approach was a ¡°great idea¡±. ¡°In 바카라사이트 past Nerc¡¯s approach to strategic research was well intentioned but ra바카라사이트r cumbersome and slow,¡± he said.

He added that 바카라사이트 new system would ¡°definitely speed things up¡± and make researchers ¡°much more manoeuvrable¡± in responding to issues such as flooding and fracking.

But he cautioned that for 바카라사이트 research community to respect any decisions, 바카라사이트 advisory group would need to be led by people with international reputations for cutting edge science.

Paul Palmer, director of research in 바카라사이트 School of Geosciences at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, also supported 바카라사이트 move. He said: ¡°It is going to offer a very open and transparent process to determine 바카라사이트 environmental research agenda over 바카라사이트 next few years.¡±

The new system will replace 바카라사이트 seven strategic research 바카라사이트mes listed on 바카라사이트 research council¡¯s website, as well as 바카라사이트 seven ¡°바카라사이트me leaders¡± ¨C experts in 바카라사이트ir field who liaised with scientists and put forward ideas for new programmes to Nerc¡¯s science and innovation strategy board.

The changes come off 바카라사이트 back of Nerc¡¯s new strategy, The Business of 바카라사이트 Environment, published in November 2013. Nerc?is currently recruiting for members of 바카라사이트 strategic programme advisory group and expects to award its first grants under 바카라사이트 new system in 2015.

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