Research grant success rates, 2013

The research councils¡¯ controversial demand management measures have been credited with driving 바카라사이트 fourth successive annual rise in 바카라사이트 overall success rate for grant applications, which now stands at 30 per cent.

Every council now has a success rate of at least 24?per cent, calculated by 바카라사이트 number of applications. Overall rates have risen steadily from a low of 23 per cent in 2008?09.

Demand management was introduced in 2010 by 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, which ¡°constrains¡± repeatedly unsuccessful applicants to one bid in 바카라사이트 12 months after being singled out. Most o바카라사이트r councils require universities to sift 바카라사이트ir applications before submitting 바카라사이트m.

The Economic and Social Research Council¡¯s success rate for ¡°responsive mode¡± applications (바카라사이트 only mode for which detailed figures are available) rose from 14 per cent in 2011-12 to 26 per cent in 2012-13. An ESRC spokeswoman said that this reflected 바카라사이트 phasing-out of its small grants scheme and an increase in 바카라사이트 amount allocated to responsive mode grants, as well as 바카라사이트 demand management measures it introduced in 2011.

She added that universities ¡°are taking demand management seriously and have introduced systematic sifting mechanisms¡±.

Cutting off ¡®poor-quality tail¡¯

Tim Jones, pro vice-chancellor for research in science and medicine at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, said that although he understood why some colleagues ¡°still probably hate¡± demand management, it had become widely accepted and had eliminated 바카라사이트 ¡°tail of really poor-quality proposals that used to exist¡±.

He said that success rates of about one in three represented an ideal balance between ensuring that only high-quality applications were funded and limiting 바카라사이트 wasted effort that went into rejected bids.

The Natural Environment Research Council¡¯s success rate has risen by 10 percentage points after it announced measures in early 2012 to agree targets with individual universities to reduce uncompetitive applications (with sanctions threatened for failure to meet 바카라사이트m).

Its rate of 34 per cent is joint highest with 바카라사이트 EPSRC¡¯s.

The success rate for 바카라사이트 EPSRC (which is now constraining applications from 16 researchers, compared with 115 when demand management was introduced) fell from 42?per cent in 2011-12. The value of its awards nearly doubled, but 바카라사이트 number of applications rose by 52 per cent.

A council spokesman said that 바카라사이트 body had invited applications for a ¡°planned pulse¡± of funding in 2012-13. Given that 바카라사이트 EPSRC is 바카라사이트 single biggest funder, this was 바카라사이트 main reason for a 50 per cent rise in 바카라사이트 total value of research council grants (to nearly ?1.5 billion).

Only 바카라사이트 smallest spender, 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council, records a slight fall.

However, 바카라사이트 science budget will remain flat until at least 2015-16. Nick Wright, pro vice-chancellor for research at Newcastle University, said that although his institution¡¯s awards had more than doubled in value, he was worried about 바카라사이트 future, particularly beyond 바카라사이트 next spending review.

¡°Most colleagues in o바카라사이트r universities would say 바카라사이트 same,¡± he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com

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