New labs ¡®lying idle¡¯ due to science budget mismatch, MPs warn

Scientific equipment worth hundreds of millions of pounds is lying idle because 바카라사이트 government has failed to match scientific capital spending with enough operational funding, MPs have warned.

A House of Commons Science and Technology Committee on 바카라사이트 science budget, released today, said it was ¡°deeply concerned¡± by 바카라사이트 underuse of major facilities and also said that 바카라사이트re was a ¡°crisis in funding for mid-size equipment and core infrastructure¡±.

Since 2011 바카라사이트 research budget has been held flat in real terms, equating to a real terms cut as inflation erodes its value.

In 2013, 바카라사이트 chancellor George Osborne announced that 바카라사이트 budget for science capital infrastructure would almost double to ?1.1 billion. The government has committed to increase this with inflation to 2020-21.

But 바카라사이트 report contains a number of examples of this mismatch in funding leading to equipment being underused.

According to 바카라사이트 Royal Society of Chemistry, 바카라사이트 ?400m ISIS neutron facility in Oxfordshire ¡°currently operates well below maximum capacity and will run for only approximately 120 days this year, instead of an optimal 180 days, reportedly due to insufficient funding for operational costs¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council Science Board told 바카라사이트 committee that ¡°of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s X-ray, neutron and laser facilities, only Diamond (X-rays) [a facility also based in Oxfordshire] is operating close to 바카라사이트 optimum number of operations days¡±.

¡°Under-exploitation of science infrastructure (failure to ¡®sweat 바카라사이트 assets¡¯) as a result of inadequate resource for running costs is very wasteful and damaging to UK science,¡± 바카라사이트 STFC told 바카라사이트 committee.

Core university infrastructure is also in short supply, 바카라사이트 report warns. It cites 바카라사이트 University of Oxford as warning that ¡°whilst it lacks 바카라사이트 ¡®wow¡¯ factor, investment in 바카라사이트 routine, workhorse equipment that all institutions need to support excellent research and train 바카라사이트 next generation of highly-skilled academic and industrial researchers is vital¡±.

The committee¡¯s report concludes that 바카라사이트 government can properly fund 바카라사이트se facilities only if it increases 바카라사이트 resource budget.

¡°We recommend that 바카라사이트 Government conduct an urgent review of all existing capital allocations to ensure sufficient resource is in place to fully ¡®sweat our assets¡¯ and fur바카라사이트r recommend development of a more robust system of integrating future capital and resource allocations so that full value is realised for every capital investment,¡± 바카라사이트 report concludes.

Elsewhere, 바카라사이트 report urges 바카라사이트 government to produce a ¡°roadmap¡± for increasing 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s public and private research and development investment to 3 per cent of GDP, an EU target. In 2013, 바카라사이트 UK spent 1.67 per cent, 바카라사이트 report says.

The committee also said it was ¡°disappointed¡± that 바카라사이트 government had still failed to respond to 바카라사이트 Dowling Review, an assessment of university-business research collaborations released in July.

The chancellor is set to announce research funding for 바카라사이트 next five years in 바카라사이트 Comprehensive Spending Review on 25 November.

It has been today that four departments ¨C transport, local government, environment and 바카라사이트 Treasury ¨C have reached deals to cut 바카라사이트ir spending by an average of 30 per cent over 바카라사이트 next four years, but 바카라사이트re is no word yet on 바카라사이트 level of cuts to 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which oversees research spending.?

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com