Fat toast for jam?

Wait, there’s more! Data has Spot! 😻

'Nottingham put part of the blame for the continued financial uncertainty on the proposed international student fee levy, pointing out that it will “wipe out any benefits” that will come from the Westminster government’s recent decision to link fees to inflation.' 3/3

With more and more countries pursuing policies aimed at attracting the most highly skilled workers, the UK and US need to realise that perceptions also matter, and — in the UK’s case — that this is just one more area where a bit of economic growth would help.

My column: www.ft.com/content/d70c...

‘The CBI and Universities UK… said universities already subsidised research by £5.4 billion a year, largely through international student income. A levy would "accelerate contraction" in research and innovation, they warned.’
www.thetimes.com/article/95f2...

But while Brits see research as a core role of universities, awareness is fairly low: less than half of non-graduates say they are “fully aware” of the research that universities do, while a fifth say they are “not at all” aware. In focus groups research was often an afterthought

Asked about the most important roles of universities, their wider national (and international) contributions are the top: training professionals and researching new medicines are main reasons, followed by the benefits they provide to students.

bsky.app/profile/heta...

Whilst there has been much to criticise about policymaking in recent years, it should be noted that governments of both stripes have continued to invest in R&D at a time of tight budgets when it would have been easy to cut back on it. This has been a quiet area of consensus politics

I should add that I definitely don’t begrudge Govt comms from squeezing as much excitement as possible from the announcement of the allocations - I think it reflects a strong interest in science, which I thoroughly applaud. But I’ll always want to dig into the figures for a sober analysis.

Some interesting details in the footnotes - #6 notes how next year’s Horizon bill is expected to be lower because of financial correction mechanisms corresponding to 2024 (the first year of proper association).

Planning figures are included for joining FP10 in 2028, which is the right thing to do

There is encouraging recognition in the press release of the role of fundamental or discovery research, and in the power of R&D to generate economic growth. But in which case why not double down on that? The SR could have been more ambitious here.

Why do we describe as status quo? It looks like UKRI’s budget next year is real terms flat - some extra lines have been included which makes it look bigger cf 25/26. So things will continue to feel tight at UKRI for a while yet - with increases backloaded in the Spending Review Period.

“But looking ahead we need to raise the national ambition, such as by setting a target to lead the G7 in research intensity. This would galvanise private sector confidence and investment, create real economic growth and make breakthroughs that benefit our lives and health."

Beth Thompson, Executive Director of Policy & Partnerships, commenting for Wellcome:

“This status-quo settlement will keep R&D in the UK on a steady footing. This is important and shouldn't be underestimated, and the recognition of the role of fundamental science is particularly encouraging” […]