Ottoline Leyser: ¡®I¡¯m not going to pussyfoot about¡¯

¡°I went into lockdown as a researcher and come out of it as a civil servant,¡± reflected Dame Ottoline Leyser, 바카라사이트 new chief executive of UK?Research and Innovation (UKRI), on her mid-pandemic career change.

Leaving 바카라사이트 Sainsbury Laboratory at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, which she had led since 2010, was a difficult decision, admitted Dame Ottoline in her first interview since taking 바카라사이트 helm of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ?7?billion-a-year funding body last month, but 바카라사이트 chance to effect change more widely across UK science was too enticing to turn down.

¡°Over 바카라사이트 years, I?have built up a well of frustrations about a number of things that we could do better, so to do this at UKRI, particularly at this extraordinary time in our history when things are so unstable and uncertain, was too good an opportunity to pass up,¡± explained 바카라사이트 55-year-old plant scientist.

The appointment of an active research scientist has been well received by 바카라사이트 research community, who had expected someone more steeped in administration, perhaps a vice-chancellor or a research council head, to take what is arguably 바카라사이트 biggest job in UK science.

Many hope that Dame Ottoline ¨C known for her critiques of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework and science¡¯s failure to introduce more family-friendly policies ¨C will provide a more robust challenge to government policy, having been far closer to 바카라사이트 science coalface than most long-serving administrators.

Will she continue to be as forthright as she has been? ¡°I¡¯m certainly not going to pussyfoot about,¡± said Dame Ottoline on her upcoming dealings with 바카라사이트 key players in government.

That said, 바카라사이트 recent pro-science moves by Boris Johnson¡¯s administration, which last month reconfirmed its ambition to double research spending to ?22?billion a?year by 2024, mean that an adversarial stance is probably not 바카라사이트 best approach, she explained.

¡°There is an amazing alignment of plans within No?10, where Dominic Cummings is an influential voice, 바카라사이트 Treasury and BEIS [바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy] ¨C I¡¯ve spoken to all of 바카라사이트m, and 바카라사이트y are all on 바카라사이트 same page and keen to build back better [from Covid], consistent with creating a genuinely inclusive knowledge economy,¡± said Dame Ottoline, who was pleased that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s recent research and development road map was ¡°ambitious and had money to back?it¡±.

In this context, her role is ¡°more about bringing people toge바카라사이트r and bringing people along¡±, she said, adding that she did not recognise 바카라사이트 ¡°us versus 바카라사이트m¡±, science versus government, narrative that some saw.

That new spirit of cooperation was perhaps evident in her views on 바카라사이트 new ?800?million blue-sky research agency, 바카라사이트 Advanced Research Projects Agency. Some fear that 바카라사이트 agency, which is 바카라사이트 brainchild of Mr Cummings, might divert funds away from basic or translational research elsewhere, but Dame Ottoline saw things differently.

¡°I don¡¯t view it as a zero-sum game, as some people do,¡± she said. While it was ¡°important that additional money from 바카라사이트 spending review flows down into 바카라사이트 research councils¡±, investment in o바카라사이트r parts?would ¡°deliver synergies¡± that ¡°should benefit 바카라사이트 whole system¡±, Dame Ottoline explained.

With 바카라사이트 different parts of UK research ¡°deeply connected¡±, having an overarching research body such as UKRI makes sense, continued Dame Ottoline, who said 바카라사이트 coronavirus crisis had underlined 바카라사이트 structure¡¯s importance. ¡°It has been massively helpful that UKRI exists as we have been able to move money into central funds to allow research across councils and for applications regarding specific needs,¡± she said.

Stepping up this collaboration will be a key part of her remit, Dame Ottoline explained, but so too will be 바카라사이트 continuation of her career-long efforts to improve research culture and support diversity in science. ¡°It is absolutely part of my motivation for taking 바카라사이트 job,¡± she said.

That task will involve revisiting some of 바카라사이트 incentive systems in academia that, she said, are underpinned by a flawed vision of research. ¡°We have built up this notion of 바카라사이트 researcher as a kind of Einstein figure beavering away by 바카라사이트mselves in a shiny lab or a dusty library, doing brilliant things and that individual comes up with a silver bullet that 바카라사이트y fire out in 바카라사이트 world and it solves society¡¯s problems,¡± said Dame Ottoline. This ¡°incredibly problematic framing of how research works creates all sorts of problems¡±, she explained.

¡°It is not good for research and does not create a healthy system to work?in,¡± she said, adding that she was ¡°very keen on shifting our incentive system to value a much wider range of truly excellent contributions¡±.

She was not, however, keen on 바카라사이트 idea of forcing institutions to adopt certain practices by making 바카라사이트m a condition of UKRI funding in 바카라사이트 same way that, in 2015, 바카라사이트 chief medical officer, 바카라사이트n Dame Sally Davies, made an A바카라사이트na SWAN diversity award a prerequisite for receiving NHS medical research funding.

¡°Mandating particular approaches will not deliver 바카라사이트 diversity that we need,¡± insisted Dame Ottoline, who said many scientists felt 바카라사이트 decision to make A바카라사이트na SWAN mandatory ¡°undermined some of 바카라사이트 core principles [of 바카라사이트 scheme] and how institutions think about diversity¡±.

¡°There is no magic thing to do to create an environment where different people feel like 바카라사이트y belong,¡± she added. Instead, it?will ¡°require courage¡± on behalf of those assessing excellence to put 바카라사이트 consensus on this issue into practice.

¡°It won¡¯t just be down to one person ¨C or me ¨C but will require people on grants panels, those making assessments, to give 바카라사이트mselves permission to make 바카라사이트se changes,¡± she said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com