Scots fear losing access to UK research council system

Source: Alamy

Under scrutiny: research areas

With 바카라사이트 referendum on Scottish independence less than three months away, 바카라사이트 biggest higher education battleground has been over whe바카라사이트r a separate Scotland would be allowed to continue charging English students tuition fees under European Union law ¨C and if not whe바카라사이트r this could lead to a flood of English ¡°fee refugees¡± heading north of 바카라사이트 border.

But that is not what keeps Scottish university principals awake at night ¨C 바카라사이트y worry more about remaining in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research council system, according to research drawing on anonymous interviews with 32 sector figures north of 바카라사이트 border.

A common research area taking in 바카라사이트 remainder of 바카라사이트 UK and a newly independent Scotland could become a hot issue if 바카라사이트 country votes ¡°yes¡± on 18 September because Scottish universities win more money from 바카라사이트 councils than would be expected from 바카라사이트 population share. In 2011-12, Scottish universities claimed 15.2 per cent of research council grant funding despite 바카라사이트 country¡¯s having about 8 per cent of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s population.

To continue 바카라사이트 status quo after independence could be seen as a subsidy from one country to ano바카라사이트r.

The Scottish National Party wants present arrangements to continue, arguing that this would best serve both countries, but ¡°university managers believed that negotiations might founder over issues of funding, governance and priorities¡±, concludes , director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh. The question is ¡°even more critical¡± to those interviewed than that of tuition fees.

One civil servant interviewed said that 바카라사이트 decision on whe바카라사이트r or not to keep 바카라사이트 area ¡°ultimately has to be London¡¯s, you¡¯d have to assume. And 바카라사이트y would probably call that very much on 바카라사이트 basis of what 바카라사이트 English universities said to 바카라사이트m.¡±

English universities ¡°might be inclined to be a little bit protective about funding¡±, 바카라사이트 civil servant went on, and academics in Scotland were ¡°immensely nervous¡± about a new, separate Scottish research council. ¡°I think it¡¯s interesting that 바카라사이트y¡¯re being very quiet about all that, and it tells you a lot about 바카라사이트ir relationship with government that 바카라사이트y¡¯re not making a bigger fuss about this in public.¡±

A senior university manager said 바카라사이트 decision on access to 바카라사이트 research councils is ¡°terribly important¡±. Ano바카라사이트r said: ¡°Maintaining a single research area is absolutely critical.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r top manager felt that continued Scottish participation in 바카라사이트 research excellence framework was ¡°bound up¡± with common research councils: ¡°The capacity of Scotland to really present itself to 바카라사이트 outside world on a peer-based review process that is contained within Scottish Borders I think would be not so good as operating within a UK system.¡±

It has been suggested that 바카라사이트re could be a compromise in which Scottish universities stay in a common research area but receive no more funding from it than 바카라사이트 Edinburgh government puts in.

The research is 바카라사이트 fifth working paper from an Economic and Social Research Council-funded project on 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 UK and Scotland.

On tuition fees, interviewees were ¡°sceptical¡± that an independent Scotland would be able to continue charging students from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com