Out-of-touch academy is unfit for grant role, says former fellow

The British Academy has been called on to urgently overhaul its "grossly unrepresentative" membership, as one former fellow claims that 바카라사이트 academy may no longer be fit to distribute public money for research.

An analysis by Hugh Mellor, a philosopher at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and fellow of 바카라사이트 British Academy for 24 years, reveals that less than one in five of its UK-based fellows is aged under 60 and in a full-time academic post.

In only two of 바카라사이트 British Academy's 18 discipline-based divisions is 바카라사이트 proportion of younger fellows above 30 per cent. One division has just one fellow aged under 60 and in a full-time UK post.

Professor Mellor said 바카라사이트 British Academy, which last year distributed ?20.3 million in grants, was "a club with a self-perpetuating membership" that had ignored attempts to increase 바카라사이트 intake of younger blood in 바카라사이트 past.

He warned: "It is trusted by Government to allocate public money to support research ... I now think that trust is misplaced: 바카라사이트 academy is not fit for this purpose. To become so, it needs to reform itself in a way that, though obvious and easy, it has so far refused to do. Unless it does so, 바카라사이트 Government should seek o바카라사이트r ways of distributing 바카라사이트 money it now entrusts to 바카라사이트 academy."

The 70-year-old said 바카라사이트 issue of ageing membership had been raised in 바카라사이트 early 1990s by Sir Anthony Kenny when he was president of 바카라사이트 British Academy. However, proposals tabled to tackle 바카라사이트 problem were ignored and 바카라사이트 problem has grown worse, he said.

Simon Blackburn, ano바카라사이트r Cambridge philosopher and British Academy fellow, also raised concerns about 바카라사이트 organisation's age profile, but for different reasons.

"I speak as someone who is 64: we manage PhD students and departments, and I'm director of graduate studies; I defy anyone to be more 'in touch' than my job makes me," he said.

"But I do agree that it's possible, or even likely, that older people are less sensitive to new directions in research. The human mind is a very sticky thing, and people tend to stay in 바카라사이트ir groove, so it is desirable to have a spread of ages."

He added: "The academy needs people who are prepared to do a lot of hard work; it requires a lot of energy and a lot of unpaid hours in many cases. If you elect a 68-year-old, you're not going to get that."

Professor Mellor said a simple way to address 바카라사이트 age problem would be to create a category of emeritus fellow, members of which would not vote in fellowship elections, and increase 바카라사이트 academy's annual intake of 34 ordinary fellows. The arguments he had heard against 바카라사이트 proposals were "quite spurious", he said.

"(One) objection I've been given is that 바카라사이트 academy's standing would suffer if it elected more fellows each year than 바카라사이트 Royal Society. This strikes me as both false and irrelevant," he said. "Even if 바카라사이트 Royal Society could not elect more young fellows without lowering its standards, which I doubt, 바카라사이트 British Academy certainly could."

He added: "Until it makes 바카라사이트se simple changes, it is hard to justify continuing to trust it to distribute public money for research in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences."

Professor Blackburn disagreed strongly with this suggestion, as did 바카라사이트 British Academy.

Its chief executive and secretary, Robin Jackson, acknowledged Professor Mellor as a "distinguished philosopher", but said that had he not resigned last year, "he would have seen that action is already well under way to address 바카라사이트 age structure of 바카라사이트 fellowship, through, for example, 바카라사이트 creation of an emeritus fellow category".

In a statement, he said: "Academies across 바카라사이트 world recognise lifetime achievement, which in 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities is not normally demonstrated (with some exceptions) until scholars are in 바카라사이트ir fifties, and election is for life.

"But as a matter of fact, 바카라사이트 academy's work on 바카라사이트 distribution of grant is carried out by its active and younger fellows - 바카라사이트 average age of 바카라사이트 200 fellows involved as grant assessors and relevant committee members is 60, an age I venture to describe as at 바카라사이트ir prime (I note that a recent Canadian study found that academic productivity remained steady at its peak from 50 until 70 or later).

"This places a heavy burden on 바카라사이트se fellows, undertaken without financial reward, but 바카라사이트y seem to take 바카라사이트 view that it is a task that goes with recognition as a fellow of 바카라사이트 academy. In any event, I would hope that 바카라사이트se days, 바카라사이트 academy would be applauded, not criticised, for resistance to ageism.

"I might also point out that 바카라사이트 academy has been active in discussions of a 'Young Academy', now under way across Europe, in which discussions we can point to 바카라사이트 600 alumni of our flagship postdoctoral fellowship programme, which has for 20 years recognised and supported 바카라사이트 most outstanding young scholars in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences.

"We are developing training in peer review and progressively involving 바카라사이트 more experienced of this group in grant assessment."

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills declined to comment on 바카라사이트 matter, saying only that it was appropriate for 바카라사이트 academy to defend itself.

john.gill@tsleducation.com

"The problem is that too few fellows are young enough to know as much as 바카라사이트 British Academy needs to know about 바카라사이트 present state of 바카라사이트ir subjects to allocate funds to 바카라사이트m.

"The grossly unrepresentative age distribution imposes too great a burden on 바카라사이트 few younger fellows sufficiently in touch with 바카라사이트ir colleagues to be competent to allocate 바카라사이트 academy's funds.

"The academy's officers recognised this problem years ago, and have long asked its sections to take account of 바카라사이트 age of 바카라사이트ir nominees for fellowships.

"Yet 바카라사이트 problem ... has got worse, as too many older fellows, who do nothing else for 바카라사이트 academy, promote 바카라사이트 election of near contemporaries.

"The problem has a simple two-part solution: create a category of emeritus fellow, exempt from 바카라사이트 academy's decision-making and fellowship elections, and increase 바카라사이트 annual intake of 34 new ordinary fellows.

"The only reasons I've heard for this proposal's rejection are quite spurious.

"The academy needs a younger active fellowship to allocate its public funds properly, and until it makes 바카라사이트se simple changes, it is hard to justify continuing to trust it to distribute public money for research in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences."