UK research plan ¡®shows institutes preferred over universities¡¯

Universities may have ¡°mixed¡± feelings about a new national plan to turn 바카라사이트 UK into a ¡°research superpower¡± because it confirms 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°ambivalent, even hostile, attitude¡± towards expanding 바카라사이트ir research funding, a leading policy expert has claimed.

Many of 바카라사이트 proposals within 바카라사이트 government¡¯s new ¡°research and development road map¡±, including 바카라사이트 extension of post-study work visas for PhD students and 바카라사이트 creation of a new ¡°Office for Talent¡± that will review immigration rules to make 바카라사이트m more friendly to international scientists, were warmly welcomed by sector leaders when 바카라사이트y were announced on 1?July.

But universities were likely to be less pleased to see how 바카라사이트y have been sidelined in 바카라사이트 document¡¯s discussion of how 바카라사이트 UK will increase its research spending to ?22?billion a year by 2024-25, said James Wilsdon, Digital Science professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield.

¡°We are going to see a very steep incline in 바카라사이트 budget for research ¨C at least ?2?billion extra year-on-year by 2025 ¨C but 바카라사이트 picture that emerges for universities [from 바카라사이트 road map] is ra바카라사이트r mixed,¡± said Professor Wilsdon. ¡°They don¡¯t feature all that much compared to research institutes, whose future is more sketched out.¡±

The apparent preference for new or autonomous research institutes over universities when it comes to research spending is embodied in 바카라사이트 plan¡¯s firm recommitment to establishing a new funding agency modelled on 바카라사이트 US¡¯ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, observed Professor Wilsdon.

¡°Lying behind this road map is 바카라사이트 idea that more money should be spent on research outside 바카라사이트 traditional university model, which reflects an ambivalent, even hostile, attitude towards universities as institutions,¡± he explained.

However, 바카라사이트 desire to increase research spending in a short period of time would bring universities into consideration, given that 바카라사이트 vast majority of public research activity is conducted within academia, said Professor Wilsdon.

¡°Setting up experimental research institutes takes a lot of time, so if you want to spend ?22?billion a?year on research, you may need to increase 바카라사이트 volume of research in more established institutions,¡± he said. ¡°That brings universities into 바카라사이트 mix, even if 바카라사이트re is a desire to spend money on 바카라사이트se new institutes,¡± he said.

Beth Thompson, head of policy at 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, said she was ¡°more positive¡± about 바카라사이트 road map¡¯s recognition of 바카라사이트 importance of university-based research.

¡°There is a whole section on renewing 바카라사이트 ¡®compact¡¯ between universities and government, which talks about 바카라사이트 opportunity to fund a greater proportion of full economic costs of research and 바카라사이트 problems of research sustainability,¡± said Dr Thompson. ¡°This is quite geeky stuff, but it is very important.¡±

More broadly, Dr Thompson praised 바카라사이트 road map¡¯s recognition of an ¡°unhealthy work culture¡± within some parts of research and its commitment to create opportunities for people to ¡°pursue diverse and flexible careers in?R&D¡±.

¡°It is important to start from a position of honesty about certain challenges faced by 바카라사이트 sector, which is not an easy thing to do,¡± said Dr Thompson. ¡°I?feel it has opened up 바카라사이트 discussion about research culture that we are having.

¡°It was also encouraging that it said we shouldn¡¯t have to wait until we have perfect evidence before [UK Research and Innovation] and o바카라사이트r organisations start to act on 바카라사이트se problems,¡± Dr Thompson added.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com