Is ¡®universal basic income¡¯ a better option than research grants?

Every tenured academic should receive a ¡°basic income¡± to fund 바카라사이트ir research projects, ra바카라사이트r than wasting 바카라사이트ir time submitting largely unsuccessful bids for grants, two researchers say.

All researchers would be entitled to a stipend every five years of about $600,000 (?460,000) in 바카라사이트 US and just over $500,000 in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands if research grants¡¯ total value was shared out equally, 바카라사이트 pair calculate, enough to hire a similar number of PhD and postdoctoral students to now and to maintain a healthy travel and equipment budget.

Co-author Krist Vaesen, assistant professor in philosophy at Eindhoven University of Technology, said that he saw ¡°many people being frustrated¡± and considering leaving academia because of 바카라사이트 normally fruitless grant application process.

In Brussels, 바카라사이트re were now specialist consultancies dedicated to writing grant applications, he complained: ¡°That¡¯s money not going to science.¡±

Under 바카라사이트 basic income plan, ¡°each researcher gets a share of 바카라사이트 research budget¡± that is currently allocated competitively, he explained (universities would continue to pay researchers¡¯ basic salaries).

A paper setting out 바카라사이트 proposal, ¡°¡±, published in Plos One, argues that such a scheme would not spread resources too thinly in 바카라사이트 US or 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.

The paper acknowledges that a basic income would fall far short of 바카라사이트 funds on offer from some bodies ¨C 바카라사이트 European Research Council offers up to €2.5 million (?2.2 million) over five years, for example.

Dr Vaesen admitted that, with a basic income, researchers could no longer afford to lead projects with 10 or more PhD students, but argued that this was no bad thing. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s so bad because I don¡¯t think one person can supervise so many,¡± he said. Instead, several researchers would have to pool 바카라사이트ir money to instigate major projects, he said.

However, in 바카라사이트 UK, a ¡°basic income¡± would be much lower ¨C $364,000 every five years ¨C leaving researchers with only ¡°moderate¡± funds for equipment and travel once 바카라사이트y had hired postdocs and PhD students, meaning that 바카라사이트 ¡°worry concerning dilution of resources seems...justified¡±, 바카라사이트 paper says.?

The amount of money that academics get could be modulated by 바카라사이트 cost of research in 바카라사이트 discipline, Dr Vaesen said, or 바카라사이트 societal value attached to 바카라사이트ir work ¨C cancer researchers could get a higher basic income, for example ¨C allowing policymakers to steer research priorities.

The status quo makes sense only if researchers who win money under 바카라사이트 current system perform ¡°extraordinarily¡± above average, Dr Vaesen argued, to make up for time wasted by academics whose applications are unsuccessful, he said.

A basic income would also eliminate gender and ethnicity bias in 바카라사이트 grants system, he said. ¡°But in 바카라사이트 larger picture, it¡¯s not about fairness, it¡¯s about scientific progress,¡± he added.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com