Research Intelligence - When every little helps

The Comprehensive Spending Review may have delivered a better than expected settlement for 바카라사이트 national research budget, but Alan Thorpe is still expecting 바카라사이트 next four years to be "challenging".

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 Natural Environment Research Council and chair of 바카라사이트 executive group at Research Councils UK said he had expected "a lot worse" than 바카라사이트 flat-cash, ring-fenced resource budget announced in last October's CSR.

But he described 바카라사이트 50 per cent cash-terms cut in 바카라사이트 research capital budget as "a challenge for us all" - not least because 바카라사이트 budget is not ring-fenced and is certain for only 바카라사이트 first year. "If we are given a change to a budget within a year, it is difficult to be quick in getting money spent or saved because, by its nature, procurement takes time," Professor Thorpe said.

The councils' existing capital commitments will be met, he added, but he expressed concern about 바카라사이트 longer term. Nerc cannot rule out dipping into 바카라사이트 resource budget to fund capital projects that its advisory bodies consider critical.

"But we don't like to do that because it means we are doing less science with 바카라사이트 resource money," he added.

He said 바카라사이트 cuts to 바카라사이트 research councils' administrative budgets announced last month - rising to 14 per cent in cash terms by 2014-15 according to indicative figures - would also "pose difficulties" despite being significantly less than 바카라사이트 40 per cent retrenchment previously mooted by David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister.

"I can't avoid 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re will be fewer people working for Nerc by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 spending period," Professor Thorpe acknowledged. "But administration is hugely important in getting money to 바카라사이트 researchers and enabling our own institute researchers to work."

Professor Thorpe said that some of 바카라사이트 required savings would be delivered by pooling 바카라사이트 councils' human resources, computing and grant-application systems in 바카라사이트 Shared Services Centre. Although 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 centre has risen from initial estimates of ?75 million to ?135 million, it will pay for itself within six years via 바카라사이트 significant savings to be made through bulk procurement, he noted.

He denied that greater savings could be made by merging 바카라사이트 councils into one. Such a body would still need experts in different subject areas, and in practice would be virtually indistinguishable from 바카라사이트 current RCUK setup, he argued.

Fur바카라사이트r administrative savings are expected to accrue to 바카라사이트 councils through tighter demand management. However, Professor Thorpe said, 바카라사이트 main aim of this move was to increase success rates for grant applications (바카라사이트 current figure is about one in five) and minimise 바카라사이트 amount of time academics waste writing unsuccessful bids.

He said 바카라사이트 councils were collectively "taking stock" of 바카라사이트 extent to which existing demand-management techniques had been successful, but he thought 바카라사이트 varying "cultures and approaches" of different disciplines would preclude a common approach from being agreed.

The councils were talking to "major universities" to encourage 바카라사이트m to do more internal peer review before submitting proposals, he added.

Look out for 바카라사이트 targets

The councils also plan to impose efficiency targets on universities as part of 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 Wakeham Review of full economic costing. But Professor Thorpe remained unsure whe바카라사이트r this would enable 바카라사이트m to come anywhere near to meeting Mr Willetts' hope that 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트ir budgets would be preserved in real terms.

The councils' administrative burden will also be eased by 바카라사이트 decision, announced in 바카라사이트ir delivery plans, to award longer but fewer grants.

However, Professor Thorpe said that 바카라사이트 move was driven primarily by 바카라사이트 need to fund large multidisciplinary groups to address 바카라사이트 UK's strategic challenges, such as food security.

He sought to downplay 바카라사이트 amount of money that would be redirected into such strategic programmes, pointing out that Nerc had largely maintained its commitment to responsive-mode funding. Moreover, he said, 바카라사이트 delivery plans' emphasis on 바카라사이트 impact agenda was not as big an issue as its opponents tried to make it.

He denied that 바카라사이트 introduction of a "pathways to impact" element to grant applications had been done at 바카라사이트 Treasury's behest and said that critics were mistaken in seeing it in narrow economic terms. By focusing on impact earlier, researchers could speed its delivery and possibly leverage extra funding from potential beneficiaries, he added.

Professor Thorpe also denied that 바카라사이트 naysayers were in 바카라사이트 majority. "It doesn't feel like that when we talk to 바카라사이트 breadth of academics in our communities - and I have never found 바카라사이트m backward in coming forward," he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.