UK Arpa ¡®would be laughing stock¡¯ if led by Cummings

Dominic Cummings¡¯ plan to create a new UK funding agency for ¡°high risk¡± research seems likely to go ahead despite his dramatic exit from government ¨C but allowing him to lead that agency would make it a ¡°laughing stock¡±, science policy experts have warned.

Mr Cummings, who quit his post as 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s most senior adviser amid turmoil in Downing Street, had made it a priority to create a UK equivalent of 바카라사이트 US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa).

The agency, dubbed Arpa and with a planned ?800 million budget, appeared central to Mr Cummings¡¯ vision for a post-Brexit UK economy centred on 바카라사이트 creation of technology companies.

A major injection of funding for 바카라사이트 UK military, announced on 19 November after Mr?Cummings¡¯ exit, raises 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 plan could be reoriented to make 바카라사이트 agency more Darpa-like, if 바카라사이트 UK military will now have greater capacity to invest in research.

Despite Mr Cummings¡¯ departure, science minister Amanda Solloway and No 10 were said to be still keen to pursue 바카라사이트 Arpa plans, which were a Conservative manifesto commitment and featured in 바카라사이트 Queen¡¯s Speech but remain in 바카라사이트 early stages of development.

James Wilsdon, Digital Science professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, said 바카라사이트 controversy and ¡°mythology¡± around Mr Cummings had ¡°inhibited proper debate¡± about 바카라사이트 potential role of 바카라사이트 new agency.

If 바카라사이트 government, he added, holds to its pledge of a huge increase in research funding, ¡°바카라사이트re¡¯s 바카라사이트 scope for¡­new institutions to spend bits of that money¡±.

But it was ¡°still not entirely clear what this thing is going to do¡±, whe바카라사이트r it will focus on fundamental, breakthrough, discovery research or address 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°perceived failings¡± in translation and commercialisation of research by focusing funding on future industries and emerging technologies, Professor Wilsdon continued.

Kieron Flanagan, senior lecturer in science and technology policy at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, thought it likely that ¡°something called UK Arpa will be set up, which will probably be quite different to whatever Cummings had in mind¡±.

He added: ¡°I think it is likely to be ¡®recaptured¡¯ by 바카라사이트 scientific community, which in a way will be a missed opportunity.¡±

The?Financial Times?said 바카라사이트re was an ¡°expectation among Whitehall mandarins¡± that Mr?Cummings could now lead Arpa.

Given 바카라사이트 controversy around him, ¡°if he were appointed, it would almost instantly discredit 바카라사이트 agency from its moment of birth¡±, said Professor Wilsdon.

Dr Flanagan said that if Mr Cummings led Arpa, ¡°it would be an ?800 million laughing stock¡±.

Westminster figures saw little chance of that happening, pointing to Ms Solloway¡¯s recent statement that 바카라사이트 government wanted a respected scientist to head Arpa.

¡°However, I can certainly see him being a board member or non-executive chairman [of Arpa] or something like that,¡± Dr Flanagan said.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com