Buckets of further research funding information
In a letter to a parliamentary committee, UKRI chief executive Ian Chapman has provided further detail of the funder’s new ‘buckets’ strategy for supporting research. Readers might particularly want to study the schematic on p3, which Research Professional uncharitably described as: “look[ing] like something from a proposed contraflow on Spaghetti Junction”. The letter confirms that curiosity-driven research will largely be made up of applicant-led research and QR research funding, plus a clutch of smaller funding streams. The categorisation of QR as curiosity-driven research has been challenged by some research policy experts. Daniel Rathbone of the Campaign for Science & Engineering said that “this eliding of definitions is part of the reason that there is confusion around the statement that curiosity research is protected”, whilst former DSIT adviser Ben Johnson wrote that classifying all of QR as curiosity-driven research was “a massive fudge” because “universities use their QR funding to sustain research groups working on everything from clinical trials to industrial partnerships to policy analysis”.
Elsewhere, the Commons’ science & tech committee delivered a damning report examining the impact of R&D investment in the UK’s nations and regions, particularly in relation to the paucity of data to allow for future learnings. The report argued that it is “unacceptable that our major R&D funders cannot properly measure and map levels of investment, their outputs and regional impacts”.
Other news in brief
- Vocational update: The UK Government announced that, from next year, young people in England will be able to take the new V-level qualifications, each of them equivalent to one A-level and with learning based on real jobs. The first V-levels will be in education, finance and digital, whilst T-levels (equivalent to three A-levels and including an industry placement) will be expanded to include sports, fitness, exercise science and care services. Pupils will be able to take V-levels alongside A-levels and mix and match vocational and academic subjects. Where T-levels exist, funding will be removed from other level 3 qualifications, including Btecs. Elsewhere, the UK Government announced that it will no longer fund three leadership and management apprenticeship standards in England. The justification was that these “are largely used by employers for older, established staff as continuing professional development” and that the money would be better spent instead on funding new apprenticeship starts for young people.
- REF interim director: Research England announced that their head of research funding, Helena Mills, has been appointed interim director of the 2029 Research Excellence Framework, starting in April. It follows the news in February that the current REF 2029 director, Rebecca Fairbairn, would stand down.
- Ethical divergence: A journal article in Research Policy found discipline-related differences between researchers in their views on research. Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden surveyed over 11,000 researchers in their country regarding their views on the acceptability of certain practices. Their results showed that medical researchers took the strictest stance on ethics, while social scientists were more lenient.
- Plaid Cymru pledge: With the Welsh polls pointing towards Plaid Cymru emerging as the biggest party in May’s elections to the Senedd, it was notable that the party committed to commissioning a cross-party and comprehensive review of how universities in Wales are funded. It is likely to focus amongst other things on incentivising Welsh students to study in Wales.