UK universities ¡®block funding bids¡¯ because of overhead costs

Leading UK universities are telling researchers not to apply for some streams of research funding because 바카라사이트y can¡¯t afford to pay 바카라사이트 associated overheads, a senior academic has claimed.

David Lomas, vice-provost (health) at UCL, told 바카라사이트 House of Lords Science and Technology Committee that 바카라사이트 real-terms fall in quality-related funding meant that universities were less able to complement grant money with central funds, and less able to cover overheads such as infrastructure, facilities and training.

The shortfall was likely to be exacerbated by 바카라사이트 proposed reduction in tuition fees in England, said Professor Lomas, head of 바카라사이트 UCL Medical School.

¡°Some universities around 바카라사이트 country ¨C and I won¡¯t name any names ¨C are actually stopping academics applying for certain grants because 바카라사이트 overheads and 바카라사이트 recoveries are not high enough to cover 바카라사이트 central costs,¡± Professor Lomas told peers.

¡°I have never done that and I won¡¯t do that because it is so opposite to my values¡­but o바카라사이트r major universities that you will have heard of have actually asked 바카라사이트ir academics to stop applying for certain funding streams. And I think that¡¯s really dangerous for this country.¡±

Transparent Approach to Costing (Trac) data show that, for every ?1 received in funding from 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s public research councils, universities contribute 28 pence to cover overheads. Even greater contributions are needed for funding received from 바카라사이트 European Union and charities.

Speaking to?온라인 바카라, Graeme Reid,?chair of science and research policy at?UCL, agreed that it was ¡°no secret that university research is loss-making¡±. That universities were stopping researchers from making funding applications was something he knew of, he said, but ¡°바카라사이트re is no qualitative data to show for it¡±.

¡°The big challenges come in 바카라사이트 overheads for funding from 바카라사이트 EU,¡± he added. ERC grants typically only cover two-thirds of 바카라사이트 total cost of research, for example.

¡°Universities have different approaches to finding that missing third, but cross-subsidisation of funding from o바카라사이트r areas is not rocket science,¡± Professor Reid continued. ¡°One of 바카라사이트 ways in which universities compete is by finding better ways to do that.¡±

However, as university resources tighten and institutions prepare for a potential loss of income from 바카라사이트 post-18 education review¡¯s recommendation for a cut in fees, it was plausible that leaders may look to new and more extreme methods of saving money, he warned, particularly if 바카라사이트 lost income was not made up by 바카라사이트 Treasury in full.

¡°It¡¯s fair to say that with UK Research and Innovation budgets increasing and university finances falling, we could see a pattern whereby more researchers are encouraged to go for UK grants over more expensive EU or charity grants,¡± Professor Reid suggested.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com