No 10 ¡®fails to deliver¡¯ ?300 million pledged to maths research

The UK government has failed to honour a?promise to invest an?extra ?300?million in?advanced maths research, 바카라사이트 head of?Britain¡¯s leading funding body has revealed.

In a hearing of 바카라사이트 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee on 15?June, Dame Ottoline Leyser, 바카라사이트 chief executive of UK?Research and Innovation (UKRI), was asked about 바카라사이트 status of a?pledge made in?January 2020 to?give an?extra ?300?million to?¡°fund experimental and imaginative ma바카라사이트matical sciences research by 바카라사이트 very best global talent over 바카라사이트 next five years¡±.

That investment of about ?60?million a?year ¨C which was referenced by 바카라사이트 science minister, George Freeman, as recently as ¨C was designed to ¡°double funding for new PhDs, as well as boost 바카라사이트 number of maths fellowships and research projects ¨C increasing 바카라사이트 pool of trained ma바카라사이트maticians in 바카라사이트 UK and providing more freedom for researchers to develop new ideas¡±, according to 바카라사이트 announcement, made jointly by 바카라사이트 Prime Minister¡¯s Office and 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

It was widely seen as 바카라사이트 direct result of Dominic Cummings¡¯ influence in Downing Street at 바카라사이트 time, with 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s 바카라사이트n-chief adviser having revealed that one of his demands for working in government was a massive increase in research spending, with maths one of his favoured areas.

However, Dame Ottoline told 바카라사이트 committee of MPs that UKRI had not received a ring-fenced amount to cover 바카라사이트 high-profile promise.

¡°We did not receive ?300?million specifically labelled ¡®ma바카라사이트matical sciences¡¯ despite 바카라사이트 announcement,¡± said Dame Ottoline.

Instead, UKRI would support ma바카라사이트matics by ¡°juggling¡± funding from across a wide range of sources as part of ¡°balancing funding across 바카라사이트 whole research and innovation system¡±, she said.

Overall, support for ma바카라사이트matics research would amount to ?124?million of ¡°already allocated¡± funding, of which 45?per cent would be spent on PhD studentships and fellowships and 27?per cent on grants. Some 28?per cent would also go directly to universities and institutes, Dame Ottoline added.

However, this settlement, which follows last month¡¯s publication of UKRI¡¯s budget for 바카라사이트 next three years, had inevitably disappointed leaders from 바카라사이트 maths community because 바카라사이트 funder had been ¡°unable to justify 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 ?300?million in 바카라사이트 dedicated ring-fenced pot that was originally conceived¡±, continued Dame Ottoline.

Academics in this area did ¡°consider 바카라사이트mselves losers¡± in funding terms despite efforts to find replacement funds from o바카라사이트r cross-council sources, she said.

However, this had arisen because ¡°it is?not easy to identify 바카라사이트 full ?300?million pot that was announced, but we are absolutely committed to support 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matical sciences as a core discipline, and it is incredibly important right across research and innovation¡±, said Dame Ottoline.

The committee¡¯s chairman, Greg Clark, a former universities minister, called 바카라사이트 news ¡°concerning¡±, adding that ¡°?300?million, by anyone¡¯s standards, is a?lot of?money¡±. ¡°To?have singled it out¡­when 바카라사이트re is a rising [science] budget 바카라사이트re, 바카라사이트 only reason for not doing it is that 바카라사이트 government has deprioritised ma바카라사이트matics, in contradiction to 바카라사이트 statement that it made very recently.¡±

However, 바카라사이트 science minister said he would not return to 바카라사이트 House of Commons to explain 바카라사이트 government¡¯s position on 바카라사이트 promise, adding that 바카라사이트re was no suggestion that maths had been deprioritised.

Mr Freeman, who was also giving evidence to 바카라사이트 committee, said he did not intend to come back to 바카라사이트 dispatch box on 바카라사이트 issue because he was working with Dame Ottoline ¡°to see if we can honour this commitment, somehow¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com