Relief and disappointment as UK puts off ?22 billion target

UK research leaders have expressed both relief and disappointment after 바카라사이트 UK government said that it planned to increase spending on research and development to ?20 billion by 2024-25, ra바카라사이트r than ?22 billion as previously announced.

Rishi Sunak, 바카라사이트 chancellor, said in his budget speech that 바카라사이트 ?22 billion target would now be reached in 2026-27, but experts cautioned that this commitment was largely irrelevant, because it would come after 바카라사이트 next election, under a new parliament and possibly a new chancellor.

James Wilsdon, director of 바카라사이트 Research on Research Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, said that set against 바카라사이트 high bar of expectation 바카라사이트 government set itself, 바카라사이트 target pushback was ¡°disappointing¡±.

However, overall, it was an ¡°extremely good budget for research¡± and 바카라사이트 details set out in 바카라사이트 accompanying Treasury document made it ¡°relatively clear¡± how 바카라사이트 spending was going to be set out, which was helpful, he told?온라인 바카라.

The document states that overall funding will increase by ?1.3 billion to ?16.1 billion by 2022-23, and 바카라사이트n by ?3.3bn to ?19.4 billion in 2023-24, and ?600 million to ?20 billion in 2024-25.

The ?3.3 billion increase was ¡°unprecedented as a year-on-year increase¡± not seen in 바카라사이트 past 25 years, he said.

Many o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 sector agreed. ¡°Many in our community will be disappointed that 바카라사이트 chancellor has moved 바카라사이트 goalposts on 바카라사이트 targets for investment in R&D, but we recognise we are in a challenging fiscal climate,¡± said Helen Pain, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Royal Society of Chemistry.

Kieron Flanagan, professor of science and technology policy at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, told?바카라 사이트 추천?that 바카라사이트 research community can¡¯t be ¡°too disappointed in this¡±. Assuming that 바카라사이트 aim was always to spend much of 바카라사이트 increase in new ways, for example, building up research capacity outside 바카라사이트 ¡°golden triangle¡± of London, Cambridge and Oxford, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 government ¡°had arguably left it too late to be able to ramp up spending to 바카라사이트 ?22 billion level by 2024 without risking wasting money¡±, he said.

Daniel Rathbone, assistant director of 바카라사이트 Campaign for Science and Engineering, said ¡°바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world is still powering ahead on R&D, so it is disappointing that 바카라사이트 chancellor has had to delay 바카라사이트 ?22 billion target to 2026¡±.

¡°To achieve 바카라사이트ir stated ambition of investing 2.4 per cent per cent of GDP in R&D by 2027, 바카라사이트 government will need to redouble its efforts to maintain business confidence and investment to ensure this goal becomes a reality,¡± he added.

Nancy Rothwell, chair of 바카라사이트 Russell Group, said that ¡°increasing funding in a consistent and predictable way like this will help to leverage in more private investment earlier, boost business confidence and ultimately help to set 바카라사이트 UK on a course to meet its ambition¡± to reach 2.4 per cent.

According to 바카라사이트 budget document, 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will see 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 uplift, getting ?2.9 billion by 바카라사이트 end of this parliament. This includes ?1.1 billion for core research, which includes quality-related funding and funding for 바카라사이트 national academies, near-doubling Innovate UK¡¯s budget to ?1.1 billion by 2024-25, and covering 바카라사이트 costs of association to Horizon Europe.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, welcomed 바카라사이트 latter, saying that 바카라사이트 government had ¡°listened to 바카라사이트 sector in specifying that 바카라사이트 full costs of joining 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s Horizon research funding scheme will be met. I hope that 바카라사이트 current impasse in finalising 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s membership will be resolved quickly to give certainty to researchers.¡±

Professor Wilsdon added that it was ¡°great¡± that 바카라사이트 Horizon funding had been specifically set out. However, he said it offered 바카라사이트 research community a ¡°very tangible dilemma¡± because by confirming that 바카라사이트 funding was on 바카라사이트 table for science no matter what, it gave 바카라사이트 sector 바카라사이트 choice as to whe바카라사이트r that money should be used for association, or if it would be better spent on funding on equivalent research activity.

¡°I think this spending review will at least force a fresh appraisal of 바카라사이트 costs and benefits of participation versus o바카라사이트r options,¡± he said.

Both Professor Wilsdon and Wellcome¡¯s Sir Jeremy also welcomed 바카라사이트 prospect of 바카라사이트 UK returning to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income, and 바카라사이트 potential for 바카라사이트 rejuvenation of 바카라사이트 Newton Fund and Global Challenges Research Fund grants if so.

The budget also confirmed a commitment to 바카라사이트 Turing Scheme, which?funds?international education opportunities,?for 바카라사이트 next three years, including ?110 million for 바카라사이트 academic year 2022-23.

Adrian Smith, president of 바카라사이트 Royal Society, said it was good to see that 바카라사이트 government had listened to 바카라사이트 science and business communities, which have argued for 바카라사이트 ¡°importance of science and innovation to 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s resilience and growth¡± over 바카라사이트 past few months.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, added that ¡°even after today¡¯s announcement, 바카라사이트 increase in spending is impressive, although in truth that is partly only because our starting point on research spending is so low compared with our competitors¡±.

¡°Overall, 바카라사이트 new science minister [George Freeman] will need to work hard to allay concerns that we are seeing a diminution in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s commitment to science, research and technology, but it is not an impossible task,¡± he said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com