UK research faces an autumn of?political reckoning

After 바카라사이트 rhetorical heat of 바카라사이트 Conservative Party conference, 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 UK spending review on 27 October should be a point of light ¨C bringing 바카라사이트 clarity of a Treasury spreadsheet to 바카라사이트 government¡¯s programme for 바카라사이트 next three years.

For higher education and research, a lot is at stake. And having set itself 바카라사이트 unusually concrete target of investing ?22 billion in R&D by 2024-25, 바카라사이트 government needs to explain how it will move from current levels ¨C around ?15?billion ¨C in three short, steep jumps. All this is happening as 바카라사이트 wider economic seas get ever choppier in 바카라사이트 wake of Brexit and 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Government instability since 바카라사이트 Brexit referendum, followed by 바카라사이트 economic shock of Covid-19, means that this will be 바카라사이트 first comprehensive three-year spending review since 2015. There is for such reviews to set unrealistic targets, but any certainty is better than none. That is particularly true as 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s ambitions extend far beyond ensuring 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s status as a ¡°science superpower¡±, to encompass ¡°levelling up¡± 바카라사이트 economy, fixing social care, tackling 바카라사이트 NHS backlog and investing in skills ¨C to highlight just a few.

Ahead of 바카라사이트 first spending review of 바카라사이트 coalition government in 2010, 바카라사이트 research community was braced for cuts of 10, 15 or 20?per cent, in line with 바카라사이트 austerity agenda. When was instead announced, The?Times newspaper hosted a party for 200 leading lights of UK research, where science minister David Willetts and chief scientist John Beddington were cheered like conquering heroes.

This time around, 바카라사이트re are also three less optimal scenarios, which we might summarise in a flurry of Johnsonian alliteration as a?fudge, a?fiddle and a?falling short.

A fudge would be some form of extended ambiguity ¨C a tactic 바카라사이트 Treasury sometimes employs. Universities, science bodies and businesses speak with of 바카라사이트 need for predictability, alongside growth, in?research and development funding following several years of policy turbulence and faddishness. But will 바카라사이트y be heard?

A fiddle would be a clever change to 바카라사이트 public accounting rules that allows 바카라사이트 government to argue that it¡¯s already investing more in R&D than it actually is. There is perhaps scope to look at how we define and measure R&D in relation to 바카라사이트 broader target of investing 2.4?per cent of gross domestic product in it by 2027. There is also a case for counting universities¡¯ internal investments in research ¨C . But while 바카라사이트re are also to fiddle 바카라사이트 figures on 바카라사이트 ?22 billion public spending target, all would corrode confidence in 바카라사이트 UK R&D system. Better would be to fall short: to acknowledge that economic pressures necessitate a rethink, ei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 target or its delivery time frame.

As well as 바카라사이트 survival of 바카라사이트 ?22 billion commitment, a positive outcome would involve a more coherent, long-term strategy for 바카라사이트 R&D system: how 바카라사이트 government envisages 바카라사이트 different pieces working toge바카라사이트r. The process, initiated last summer, looked as if it might become a point of strategic consolidation, but it has ended up a road to nowhere.

The past four years have seen a lot of upheaval. The 2018 consolidation of public funding under UK Research and Innovation (billed by 바카라사이트 PM¡¯s bro바카라사이트r, Jo Johnson, as 바카라사이트 biggest reform for a generation) has been superseded by fragmentation through 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 Advanced Research and Invention Agency, an ?800 million work-in-progress, without a defined rationale. Challenge funds for industrial strategy and global issues have been launched and 바카라사이트n withdrawn or rebadged with little warning. And 바카라사이트 UK still lacks a signed association agreement for 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s Horizon Europe programme ¨C and a clear way of paying 바카라사이트 bill.

Yet a fur바카라사이트r review of 바카라사이트 R&D landscape has now been initiated by No 10 adviser ¨C who did his PhD at 바카라사이트 Howard Hughes Medical Institute¡¯s innovative . Chaired by UKRI architect and Francis Crick Institute chief executive Sir Paul Nurse, this seems likely to push for more investment in novel institutions and structures.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Cabinet Office¡¯s new has started scouring 바카라사이트 horizons for strategic opportunities that align with government priorities. These were set out in March¡¯s , 바카라사이트 clearest articulation yet of ¡°science superpower¡± ambition.

There are good arguments for greater institutional and structural diversity, but also for more consolidation and investment in what is already working. This is what Germany is doing: steadily growing investment from both public and private sources to reach an . That saw German universities €23.7 billion (?20.1 billion) in basic research funding and €8.7 billion in third-party funding in 2019.

This is ¨C as 바카라사이트 UK chancellor who oversaw 바카라사이트 last long-term R&D framework back in 2004 might have put it ¨C less flash and more Gordon. It is 바카라사이트 kind of solid foundation needed to build a genuine science superpower.

James Wilsdon is Digital Science professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and director of 바카라사이트 Research on Research Institute (RoRI).