Nurse review: fears over greater political control of research

Political interference in research funding has emerged as one of 바카라사이트 biggest concerns of those scrutinising a new report into how research councils should function by Sir Paul Nurse, 바카라사이트 Nobel prizewinning head of 바카라사이트 Royal Society.

Sir Paul¡¯s report, released on 19 November, did not recommend merging 바카라사이트 seven research councils as some had feared. Instead, it called for 바카라사이트 establishment of a new overarching organisation, Research UK (RUK), to coordinate research strategy, distribute interdisciplinary funds and speak to 바카라사이트 government.

Some commentators welcomed a more interdisciplinary approach to funding, but also see 바카라사이트 report as opening 바카라사이트 door to greater political control of research.

proposes a new ministerial committee, whose role would include ¡°assessment of advice and proposals from Research UK and its partners¡±, chaired by ¡°a senior minister with cross-cutting Cabinet responsibilities¡± and attended by o바카라사이트r ministers who are ¡°responsible for major science budgets¡±.

In a press conference to discuss his report, Sir Paul emphasised that it was important that science was ¡°embedded in 바카라사이트 centre of government¡±. ¡°If you don¡¯t get closer to government, we¡¯ll see our budget [fall] away,¡± he added.

James Wilsdon, professor of science and democracy at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, said that 바카라사이트 most likely candidate to chair this committee would be George Osborne, 바카라사이트 chancellor, who would be unlikely to ¡°waste his time¡± on such a body unless it had some kind of financial power.

¡°At its most dystopian¡± 바카라사이트 Nurse review would usher in an era of ministerial ¡°tinkering from on high¡± with research priorities, he said.

Professor Wilsdon also feared that by transferring quality-related (QR) research funding from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England to 바카라사이트 new RUK ¨C a move Sir Paul said was his favoured option ¨C ministers would have greater power over this pot of money.

¡°The worry for me with a ministerial committee is that unless you have extremely solid and watertight safeguards around 바카라사이트 QR budget¡± 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re would be ¡°pressure from events to raid that budget¡±, he said.

Naomi Weir, acting director of 바카라사이트 Campaign for Science and Engineering, said that 바카라사이트re was a question over how QR funding would be kept separate from responsive research council grants ¨C 바카라사이트 so-called dual support system ¨C ¡°when it¡¯s all under one roof¡±.

The new ministerial committee could lead to a ¡°more joined up¡± approach to research across government, she said, and might be able to better protect department funding for policy research that had been cut in recent years.

¡°But you might have micromanagement of research funding¡± by ministers, she warned.

However, she was positive about Sir Paul¡¯s proposal for a ¡°common research fund¡± to be distributed by RUK for interdisciplinary research, ¡°grand challenges¡± and ¡°in response to scientific developments which open up new opportunities¡±.

Such a fund reflected ¡°바카라사이트 changing nature of research and researchers¡¯ careers¡±, she said. For example, recent fears over 바카라사이트 waning effectiveness of antibiotics required a response not just from medical science but social science too, since addressing 바카라사이트 problem required ¡°behaviour change¡± from medical professionals.

But Kieron Flanagan, senior lecturer in science and technology policy at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, warned that this new ¡°cross-cutting¡± fund could be allocated by RUK without normal peer review of bids.?

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com