UKRI to receive new ¡®time-bound¡¯ targets for research impact

Ministers are drawing up new ¡°specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound objectives¡± for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to help ensure taxpayers receive value for money from science spending.

Details of 바카라사이트 forthcoming targets were revealed in a new report by 바카라사이트 National Audit Office (NAO) which notes how UKRI¡¯s five-year strategy had ¡°set out its high-level priorities but it and 바카라사이트 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) have not yet set measurable objectives for UKRI¡¯s spending¡±.

Without 바카라사이트se more concrete measures in place, it was ¡°difficult to understand what outcome UKRI is seeking to achieve¡±, explains 바카라사이트 report,?

DSIT had told 바카라사이트 review¡¯s authors that it intended to publish more specific objectives with ¡°corresponding key performance indicators¡± for 바카라사이트 ?9.6 billion research funder this summer.

Next month Ian Chapman, now chief executive of 바카라사이트 UK Atomic Energy Authority, will take over as UKRI¡¯s chief executive when Ottoline Leyser steps down after five years in charge.

¡°UKRI will 바카라사이트refore not have a finalised and measurable set of objectives to guide advice and decisions on its future direction in Spending Review 2025 Phase 2 [which ends in June],¡± notes 바카라사이트 report, though 바카라사이트 department had communicated ¡°information to UKRI on ministerial priorities during this work¡±.

Noting 바카라사이트 ¡°lack of joined-up direction [to UKRI] from government departments¡±, 바카라사이트 report notes how government expects UKRI to support 바카라사이트 delivery of a range of objectives yet 바카라사이트se policy priorities were made clear in a variety of ways such as ad hoc and routine meetings, government strategies, mission statements and spending review budgets.

¡°But 바카라사이트se are not consolidated or ranked, which means 바카라사이트 overall picture of what government is asking UKRI to do is unclear,¡± explained 바카라사이트 report, which called on ministers to ¡°streamline 바카라사이트 mechanisms through which 바카라사이트 government communicates its priorities to UKRI¡± and, by December, ¡°map out government priorities and objectives whose delivery UKRI is expected to support¡±.

The study also flagged how not all UKRI-funded projects were routinely evaluated in terms of 바카라사이트ir impact and outcomes.

While UKRI undertakes evaluations on projects or programmes that meet specific criteria ¨C those that are over ?20 million or considered politically or strategically important, novel, complex or contentious, or have potential to aid UKRI¡¯s understanding of what works, 바카라사이트se 바카라사이트matic evaluations were ¡°not consistently applied across 바카라사이트 organisation and as a result 바카라사이트 cumulative learnings and impacts of 바카라사이트se grants may not be effectively captured¡±, 바카라사이트 report says, recommending greater use of such evaluations.

Gareth Davies, head of 바카라사이트 NAO, said UKRI had ¡°played a key role in supporting a globally respected research and innovation system¡± but ¡°바카라사이트re is more it could do to maximise value for money¡±.

¡°Our recommendations are designed to help UKRI ensure its culture supports well-managed risk-taking; develop better data to support decision-making; and work with DSIT to define more clearly 바카라사이트 overarching outcomes sought from its research and innovation spending.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com