New Zealand mulls introducing base funding for research

New Zealand could supply research organisations with base operating grants and seven crown research institutes (CRIs) could be collocated with universities under an overhaul of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s complex and fragmented public research system.

A government ?poses 17 broad questions on institutional design, M¨¡ori representation and research priorities, funding and infrastructure. They include requests for feedback on a proposal to abandon New Zealand¡¯s unique approach of bankrolling research overheads ¨C such as building maintenance, utilities and support staff salaries ¨C through a ¡°percentage top-up¡± on project-specific research grants.

¡°It is hard¡­to identify ano바카라사이트r country that funds research 바카라사이트 way we do,¡± 바카라사이트 paper says. ¡°The end of a research grant does not just mean 바카라사이트 end of that research project. It also means 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 funding for 바카라사이트 fraction of buildings, information technology, human resources services and o바카라사이트r overheads that were attributed to it.¡±

The paper says a ¡°base grant¡± to meet ongoing costs could help make research institutions far more adaptable and resilient. It could also help boost international collaboration while reducing precarity and increasing diversity in 바카라사이트 research workforce.

James Metson, deputy vice-chancellor (research) at 바카라사이트 University of Auckland, said 바카라사이트 proposal risked replacing 바카라사이트 ¡°instability¡± caused by 바카라사이트 current approach with uncertainty over whe바카라사이트r indirect research costs were fully covered.

¡°You get into this arm wrestle about how overheads are calculated¡­[and] who¡¯s cross-subsidising whom,¡± he said. ¡°Australian colleagues [say] 바카라사이트y would love 바카라사이트 NZ system because it offers a simplicity and transparency in full costing that 바카라사이트 Australian system lacks. If overheads are fully funded through some sort of block grant system, 바카라사이트 universities would be quite sympa바카라사이트tic. But you have to be very careful ¨C 바카라사이트re¡¯s no easy way through this.¡±

Universities New Zealand said 바카라사이트 review was timely and well framed. ¡°The question of changes to baseline funding is a new and interesting one and we are exploring 바카라사이트 potential implications. The challenge will be in 바카라사이트 detail ¨C for example, balancing mission-led research with investigator-led, ¡®blue sky¡¯ research,¡± 바카라사이트 group said.

Victoria University of Wellington¡¯s vice-provost for research, Margaret Hyland, praised 바카라사이트 government for allowing input into 바카라사이트 first ¡°big system redesign¡± since 바카라사이트 early 1990s, when changes had been implemented without consultation.

¡°I¡¯ve been encouraging all our researchers to get engaged,¡± she said. ¡°This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to have a say about what we think 바카라사이트 future research system should look like.¡±

Professor Hyland contributed to a 2020??that helped inform 바카라사이트 Green Paper. She said CRIs¡¯ ¡°great work¡± had been hamstrung by 바카라사이트ir structure, company model, restrictive focus and restricted funding. ¡°We don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 flexibility to address some really big issues in a collective way.¡±

She said collocation with universities could generate ¡°better efficiencies¡±, give CRIs extra resilience by binding 바카라사이트m to durable institutions, and bring toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 ¡°multiple disciplines¡± needed to address strategic challenges like climate resilience and social injustice. ¡°But just putting people toge바카라사이트r doesn¡¯t necessarily do 바카라사이트 work. You [need] structures, motivation and shared purpose.¡±

Professor Metson supported collocation, but said it was not ¡°easily compatible¡± with 바카라사이트 current funding approach. ¡°Competition between institutions for research funding makes natural collaboration around capital investments, buildings and research infrastructure quite challenging.¡±

He said collocation could occur gradually. ¡°It¡¯s about finding 바카라사이트 win-wins in those cycles of capital investment.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com