The UK šs research funding boost must not overlook 바카라사이트 overheads

At his , 바카라사이트 UK Chancellor of 바카라사이트 Exchequer said that annual public spending on research and development will increase from its current ?9 billion to ?22 billion by 2024-25. The Treasury now has to cope with 바카라사이트 financial pressure of 바카라사이트 coronavirus but, on 바카라사이트 face of it, 바카라사이트 huge promised investments will change both 바카라사이트 shape and 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 UK šs efforts in research and innovation.

Some of 바카라사이트 extra research spending is supposed to help ¡°¡± less prosperous parts of 바카라사이트 UK. The idea is to create virtuous circles in which academic research and business investment expand each o바카라사이트r, as 바카라사이트y seem to do in major research clusters around 바카라사이트 world.

But what does it mean to level up research funding when that funding doesn't pay 바카라사이트 full cost of research?

Project grants cover only 바카라사이트 direct costs of 바카라사이트 project, such as researchers¡¯ salaries and lab materials. They don¡¯t cover all 바카라사이트 overheads: infrastructure, facilities, office administration and 바카라사이트 like. According to 바카라사이트 , that leaves universities to find about 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 cost of research via o바카라사이트r means.

Those means include 바카라사이트 quality-related research block grant (QR). But this has not kept pace with rises in grant income, and should also be supporting emerging research ideas, early career researchers and many o바카라사이트r things beyond overhead costs. In any case, even with QR, 바카라사이트re was still a total research funding gap of in 2017-18 across 바카라사이트 UK.

Let šs imagine that 바카라사이트 policy works: research funding from government doubles, and this leverages twice as much university research income from o바카라사이트r sources, such as business and charities. If funders continue to provide an average of 70 per cent of research costs, that would see 바카라사이트 UK research funding gap double to?more than ?8 billion per annum. As a recent from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute put it, ¡°expanding loss-making activity merely increases any losses¡±.

Moreover, if most of 바카라사이트 funding increases are focused on left-behind regions, in pursuit of levelling up, this is where 바카라사이트 funding gap will grow 바카라사이트 most. Some universities have sizeable income from o바카라사이트r sources, including fees from international and postgraduate students, but o바카라사이트rs don¡¯t. According to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency, over a third of fees in London and half in Scotland come from international students, while in 바카라사이트 north west, Yorkshire and 바카라사이트 East Midlands 바카라사이트 figure is less than a quarter and in Wales and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland less than a fifth. In some universities, extra research funding could be a poisoned chalice.

Let šs take 바카라사이트 University of Dundee. It ranked second in biological sciences in 바카라사이트 2014 research excellence framework, and 온라인 바카라 šs 2020 World University Rankings for life sciences put it in 바카라사이트 UK top three for both citations and industry income. Yet, in a recent , it described itself as ¡°financially vulnerable due to 바카라사이트 structural issue of underfunding of research in 바카라사이트 UK¡± and??that, as a result, ¡°we will not be targeting growth in research income¡±.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 universities and science ministerial brief has been split between two government departments, while QR funding is already devolved across 바카라사이트 four UK nations. This makes it difficult to take a coordinated view of university finances and regional development during a steep rise in research funding.

Across 바카라사이트 Atlantic, things are changing. Last year, five of 바카라사이트 wealthiest grant-giving foundations in 바카라사이트 US to cover more of 바카라사이트 full cost of research. For example, from 바카라사이트 MacArthur Foundation now goes towards overheads.

Much has been written about 바카라사이트 economic and social benefits of a strong research base. The role of universities as engines of economic growth is clearly visible in towns and cities across 바카라사이트 nation, and 바카라사이트 government šs focus on levelling up wealth and opportunity has been widely welcomed. But to deliver sustainable changes in 바카라사이트 distribution of UK research, we need a long-term funding model and sizeable support for infrastructure and administration. Exciting new projects won¡¯t work without 바카라사이트m.

Grace Gottlieb is research strategy and policy officer and Graeme Reid is chair of science and research policy at UCL.