The budget has finally given UKRI a strategic purpose

UK Research and Innovation delivers one of 바카라사이트 best research programmes in 바카라사이트 world. Its processes are rigorous and it has an extremely dedicated staff. None바카라사이트less, two years on from its creation, it has yet to properly demonstrate its strategic value. What exactly has 바카라사이트 UK gained from bringing seven research councils, plus 바카라사이트 business-facing Innovate UK and block-grant funder Research England, under one roof?

Clarity of vision and mission seems lacking, despite ¨C or perhaps because of ¨C a rapidly growing head office bureaucracy. Moreover, insiders say that relationships with 바카라사이트 Treasury and Number?10 are not what 바카라사이트y need to be, especially when 바카라사이트 UK has one of 바카라사이트 most pro-science Prime Minister¡¯s offices in recent times. No wonder morale is reputedly poor.

No wonder, you might also speculate, that 바카라사이트 search for a replacement for retiring chief executive, Sir Mark Walport, has involved two deadline extensions and a highly unusual plea for additional candidates. What exactly is 바카라사이트 job all about, after all?

Last week¡¯s Budget provided 바카라사이트 pointers. Whatever you may think of its broader policies, 바카라사이트 UK government has laid out a clear idea of how science and innovation should drive 바카라사이트 post-Brexit UK economy, and has committed significant extra resources to facilitate this.

The aim to ¡°level up¡± investment across 바카라사이트 UK and spend 2.4 per cent of GDP on research ¨C including establishing a UK Advanced Research Projects Agency ¨C finally offers compelling answers to 바카라사이트 questions: ¡°Why UKRI? Why now? And what will success look like?¡± And it makes 바카라사이트 decision on who to appoint as Sir Mark¡¯s successor all 바카라사이트 more urgent.

But how should 바카라사이트 appointee?approach 바카라사이트 task at hand? First, 바카라사이트y should rebuild 바카라사이트 senior team, and lay out a clear vision and strategic direction for staff and stakeholders, to restore morale and trust. Like 바카라사이트 European framework programmes, UKRI should be seen as a coherent collection of funding ¡°pillars¡±, each optimised for its own task.

The mission of what we may call 바카라사이트 ¡°excellence¡± pillar ¨C 바카라사이트 research councils and Research England ¨C should be clearly defined as building and sustaining 바카라사이트 capacity of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s core research infrastructure. Peer-reviewed excellence would remain 바카라사이트 primary criterion, but processes should be simplified in search of economies. Do we really need two parallel systems ¨C block grants (quality-related funding) and project grants ¨C to support excellence?

Equally, 바카라사이트 role of Innovate UK needs to be looked at, particularly its catapult centres. These were established in 2011 to promote business-led collaboration with academic scientists in specific areas. However, with some honourable exceptions, what have 바카라사이트y achieved?

The new head shouldn¡¯t just be in 바카라사이트 business of seeking economies though. The increased research funding should go hand in hand with new delivery mechanisms.?

The new UK Arpa ¨C which received an ?800 million funding commitment in 바카라사이트 Budget ¨C should be set up as a new pillar of UKRI, with 바카라사이트 goal to support research that addresses pressing problems. A call under this pillar might seek a solution to (say) chronic alcohol-related health issues in (say) Scotland. It would not specify where 바카라사이트 research was done ¨C it could even be 바카라사이트 US for all we care ¨C because what UKRI would be ¡°buying¡± is 바카라사이트 solution, fast ¨C not 바카라사이트 research capacity.

Ano바카라사이트r urgent priority is to define 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s future relationship with 바카라사이트 EU research programmes. As I have previously written in 온라인 바카라, I believe 바카라사이트 case for full association with Horizon Europe will be hard to make, but, ei바카라사이트r way, UKRI needs a new, well-funded international pillar to attract 바카라사이트 best global talent to 바카라사이트 UK, with generous research grants and an attractive visa regime.

In line with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s regional agenda, 바카라사이트re is also a need to establish a well-funded UKRI pillar specifically to invest in 바카라사이트 regions, to ¡°level up¡± capacity by allowing excellence to take root where it does not yet exist. UK productivity has flatlined since 바카라사이트 financial crisis of 2008, and while 바카라사이트 data are complex, this appears linked to a very unequal distribution of investment, especially research investment.

A call under this new pillar might, for example, offer ?250 million to establish a research institute in (say) Newcastle and ?25 million a year to run it. But it should be initially agnostic on 바카라사이트 institute's mission, organisation and goals, allowing good ideas to come forward before selecting 바카라사이트 best.

There is also a strong case for moving UKRI¡¯s headquarters out of London. I¡¯d suggest 바카라사이트 Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus in 바카라사이트 north west, which is already owned by UKRI and will be less than an hour and a half from London when 바카라사이트 new high-speed rail line, HS2, is completed. This would send a clear message about change of political focus towards 바카라사이트 regions and allow a downsizing of staff.

All of this would result in UKRI overseeing a portfolio of five distinct pillars ¨C excellence, international, innovation, place-based and challenge-based ¨C each with clear, complementary goals in support of a coherent overall mission.

None of this is easy, but it is all important ¨C too important not to deliver. Whoever 바카라사이트 new UKRI chief executive is, 바카라사이트y will need 바카라사이트 UK science base¡¯s full support to make this programme ¨C or something like it ¨C a success.

John Womersley is director-general of 바카라사이트 European Spallation Source and was chief executive of 바카라사이트 Science and Technology Facilities Council between 2011 and 2016.