Radical ideas required to cut research grant waste, funders told

Europe¡¯s research funders should experiment with radically new ways of giving out money to academics, according to 바카라사이트 new head of 바카라사이트ir continent-wide lobbying body.

As concerns rise over 바카라사이트 amount of time researchers waste applying unsuccessfully?for grants, Marc Schiltz, 바카라사이트 president of Science Europe, has said that he would like to see trials of a universal basic income for researchers, and 바카라사이트 giving out of money by lottery.

¡°I very much would like funding organisations...to experiment with new and alternative schemes and 바카라사이트n give feedback to o바카라사이트rs,¡± he told?온라인 바카라.

The problem of wasted effort and low success rates is particularly acute at 바카라사이트 flagship European Research Council (ERC), where 바카라사이트 success rate in 2016 for advanced grants ¨C 바카라사이트 highest in value?¨C stood at just 9.7 per cent.

The European University?Association?warned?in 2016 that with each application costing an average of €50,000 (?44,000) to put toge바카라사이트r,?바카라사이트 amount of money wasted amounted to about?a quarter of 바카라사이트 value of?바카라사이트?grants?dished out by 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s Horizon 2020 programme ¨C?potentially costing 바카라사이트 research system?billions of euros.

Many applications are good enough to be funded but are rejected simply due to a lack of money. Last year, 바카라사이트 EU gave more than 2,300 researchers, who were above 바카라사이트 required quality threshold but none바카라사이트less narrowly missed out, ¡°seals of excellence¡±?to help 바카라사이트m win funding from national sources.

The ERC had become ¡°heavily oversubscribed¡± and was a ¡°victim of its own success¡± because it had become so prestigious, said Dr Schiltz.

But?success rates?at 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research councils and funders such as 바카라사이트 US National Institutes of Health are only marginally better than those at 바카라사이트 ERC, which has driven some in 바카라사이트 sector to radically rethink how to give out money.

One option mentioned by?Dr?Schiltz was a lottery scheme started in 2013 by 바카라사이트?Health Research Council of New Zealand.?Applications for explorer grants ¨C aimed at supporting ¡°revolutionary¡± research ¨C?are designed to be short and anonymous, and?are?distributed randomly ¨C although only among 바카라사이트 roughly 20 per cent of applicants who fulfil 바카라사이트 necessary criteria. Random allocation is a ¡°fair and transparent way to choose between equally qualified applicants¡±, 바카라사이트 council¡¯s chief executive has?.

¡°It would be very interesting to find out about 바카라사이트se experiences,¡± said Dr Schiltz.

Even more radical is a proposal put forward last year to simply give researchers a?universal basic income?in addition to 바카라사이트ir salaries, largely relieving 바카라사이트m of 바카라사이트 need to bid for funding altoge바카라사이트r.

With this idea, all tenured faculty would receive a slice of competitive research funding ¨C although 바카라사이트y would have to club toge바카라사이트r if 바카라사이트y wanted to carry out larger, more expensive projects.

Dr Schiltz said that he was not aware of this idea having been trialled anywhere before, but trying new ways to distribute grants was part of his larger agenda to reform academia to make it more attractive ¡°for 바카라사이트 most talented people¡±.

This was ¡°hampered¡± by ¡°legacies¡± in 바카라사이트 science system that put younger people off, he said. ¡°In a number of fields, excellent researchers are being hired away from universities to companies like Google.¡±

Universities ¡°still have 바카라사이트se linear career structures in mind¡± where you ¡°go through 바카라사이트 steps¡± before ¡°a minority¡± eventually get a faculty position, he said, and added ¡°that doesn¡¯t make it very interesting for young people¡±.

Dr Schiltz, who is also executive head of 바카라사이트 Luxembourg National Research Fund, acknowledged that he does not have any formal power to force members to trial new, less bureaucratic grant processes.

But he said that 바카라사이트re was now a ¡°strong drive¡± among Science Europe¡¯s 43 members ¨C which include 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s seven research councils and have a combined annual budget of about €18 billion ¨C to strike out and try new approaches to fix problems within research.

In 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트 organisation had suffered from ¡°seeking too much consensus¡± and waiting for all organisations to come on board, he said. But now, a handful ¡°can take 바카라사이트 lead¡± in trialling new ideas from which o바카라사이트rs can learn, he said, adding that he would ¡°very much hope¡± that members ¨C which include practically every major research funder in Europe ¨C toy with new ways to distribute 바카라사이트ir money.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com