APPENDIX 61
Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
INTRODUCTION
1. Having submitted a memorandum to the
Committee's inquiry into the impact of the 1993 White Paper, Realising
our Potential, the BBSRC welcomes this opportunity to contribute
further evidence related to the publication of the 2000 White
Paper, Excellence and Opportunity: a science and innovation
policy for the 21 century, and of the Science Budget 2001-02
to 2003-04. Both initiatives have obvious significance for
the future of the research base in the UK and, in particular for
how research results might best be exploited to the benefit of
the UK economy and the well being of the population.
2. This submission will comment briefly
on each of the two documents, and then consider how the proposals
set out might meet the concerns outlined in the final paragraph
of the BBSRC's earlier submission.
THE SCIENCE
AND INNOVATION
WHITE PAPER
3. The BBSRC welcomed the publication of
the White Paper, especially its recognition of the close relationship
between research excellence and capacity for effective innovation
(chapter 1, paragraphs 7 to 18). The emphasis on the cycle or
chain of innovation and the need to maintain all aspects of it,
from the excellence of basic research to public confidence in
scientific ideas and consumer demand, provides a useful framework
for the development of policy at the departmental/research council
level. However, it remains to be seen how effectively the proposals
set out in chapter 1 may be implemented across government.
4. The document as a whole is strong on
identifying the UK's need to maintain its international standing
by, for example, keeping and attracting the best brains, and improving
the quality of school teaching. It also sets out a number of very
positive key proposals (paragraphs 32, 35 and 37), several of
which commit the Government to significant investment in the research
base. These are very welcome developments, as is the White Paper's
recognition of the need to continue to address the following:
— how best to encourage productive
international links (ch 1, para 34);
— the need for adequate rewards at
all stages of a research career, but particularly for younger
scientists (ch 2, paras 31-34). The response of the main employers
of scientific staff to the Research Careers Initiative agreed
by the CVCP, OST and the research councils in 1996 has been positive,
but much more needs to be done to develop systematic career guidance
and skills training structures for postdoctoral staff, together
with more attractive recognition and reward schemes. The White
Paper was disappointingly muted on these very important practical
issues.
— why so few women are in senior posts
(ch 2, paras 35-38);
— the need to maintain public confidence
in scientific research (ch 4).
5. Chapter 3, "Opportunities for innovation",
provides a clear analysis of the relationship between the research
base and innovative economic activity, and emphasises the need
to strengthen what it calls the "links in [the UK's] innovation
cycle" (ch 3, para). It also sets out a variety of schemes
aimed at meeting that need. The extent to which these schemes
will deliver stronger links remains open to question. While broadly
welcoming the initiatives, the BBSRC would wish to have some flexibility
to adapt the schemes to the particular circumstances of the UK
biosciences research base. The Council would also wish the Government
to give a clearer indication of an appreciation of the role of
the research councils' research institutes in generating knowledge
and translating it into biosciences products.
THE SCIENCE
BUDGET 2001-02 TO
2003-04
6. The BBSRC particularly welcomes the encouraging
settlement for research resulting from the Spending Review 2000,
which built on the ideas set out in the "Science and Innovation"
White Paper, and provided further details of how the Government's
investment in science is expected to deliver the required results.
The headline commitments, £1 billion for infrastructure,
£252 million for key areas, £100 million boost to the
science budget over three years, a rise in the postgraduate student
stipends to £9K pa, and £10 million to help the commercialisation
of public sector research, will all be extremely important in
allowing the research councils to maintain the international strength
of the UK Science Base.
7. Within the BBSRC's areas of the interest,
the investment of £110 million in genomics, 30 per cent of
which has been allocated to the Council, will enable the BBSRC
to make significant investments in leading UK research groups:
plans are now underway for a major initiative in "Exploiting
the genome". This will build on the Council's previous investments
(for example the initiative "Investigating gene function",
and its structural biology centres) by analysing and interpreting
the vast amount of genome data generated to the benefit of the
UK economy.
8. The BBSRC also appreciates the commitments
to e-science and basic technologies. For the former, the Council
is now in a position to continue its commitment to bioinformatics,
and to fund other e-science applications in post-genomics. Part
of the Council's programme in this area will be jointly with the
Medical Research Council, thereby contributing to effective joint
working between the research councils as emphasised in the science
budget settlement. Effective joint working between the councils
will be vital throughout the three key areas of new funding, and
strategic vision for the development of the UK Science Base as
a whole will be essential in the next period of scientific advance.
BBSRC CONCERNS
9. In the BBSRC's first submission to the
inquiry we outlined a number of specific concerns about the ability
of the UK science base to drive forward the knowledge based economy
and society. This section considers the extent to which the proposals
in the White Paper and the SR2000 settlement meet those concerns.
Providing resources to ensure the UK remains internationally
competitive in scientific research
10. While it is always possible to seek
additional funds for research, the BBSRC recognises that the settlement
from SR2000 goes a long way towards ensuring the continued international
success of the UK Science Base. It will be essential for the research
councils to allocate the resources effectively, balancing concentration
on centres of excellence with the need to maintain and encourage
diversity of sound scientific ideas.
Keeping the physical infrastructure for the Science
Base up to the highest international standards in key research
centres in universities and research institutes
11. The Joint Infrastructure Fund announced
after the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review started the long-term
and much needed process of replacing and updating buildings and
facilities at universities and research institutes. It was important
that funding be made available to continue this activity. The
SR2000 settlement for infrastructure (the Science Research Investment
Fund) was therefore vital. In prioritising the ways in which the
SRIF is allocated lessons need to be learned from the procedures
for awarding funds under JIF, to ensure that funds are distributed
equitably and effectively. In particular, future decisions about
the allocation of such significant sums of money must be taken
in the context of a strategic view of scientific infrastructure
needs across the Science Base as a whole. The importance of ensuring
an effective national overview of the development of the infrastructure
for the Science Base is growing, so that we can be sure that best
value is secured, and the unhelpful duplication and sub-critical
mass are avoided. In particular, working between institutions
should be strongly promoted.
Ensuring that government-supported knowledge transfer
schemes are effective and that resources are available for early
stage development of ideas generated from the research base
12. The main thrust of the White Paper is
clearly on this aspect of the Government's responsibilities, and
the SR2000 settlement provides a number of specific schemes for
bridging the gap between research results and commercial/industrial
success. While very much welcoming these developments, the BBSRC
believes there may still be a gap between obtaining initial results,
securing intellectual property, and testing the results sufficiently
to interest private sector investors.
Ensuring that the teaching of science subjects
in schools is not undermined by poor facilities or poor quality
teaching, and the issue of salaries for secondary school teachers
13. The White Paper clearly recognises both
the growing difficulties faced by schools in recruiting good science
teachers and the need to improve further the links between the
research base and schools. These matters, particularly the former,
are of increasing concern to the BBSRC, as evidence of the absence
of adequately qualified science teachers in secondary schools
mounts. Relatively few postgraduates are now opting for a career
in teaching, and BBSRC would welcome a national debate about how
this situation could be tackled. The Council has an excellent
record of promoting links between the bioscience research base
and schools but is less well placed to address directly the issue
of the quality of school science teaching. The Government's plans
to offer £10,000 as training and recruitment packages for
teachers in shortage areas may help ease the situation, but a
longer-term approach addressing the questions of salaries, teacher
status and school infrastructure may also be required. Closer
interaction between the Department of Trade and Industry and the
Department for Education and Employment in developing policy specifically
on science in schools might also be helpful.
Raising PhD stipends to a level that will attract
high flyers
14. The low level of PhD stipends has long
been of concern to the BBSRC. The Council was therefore particularly
pleased with the commitments in the White Paper and the SR2000
settlement to raise stipends. However, there is still some concern
that £9Kpa by 2003-04 may not be sufficient, and the BBSRC
is considering moving more quickly to that level and may wish
to enhance stipends further. The attractiveness of these increases
will be partly influenced by the wider attractiveness and status
of research careers beyond the PhD stage, and the role of the
Government in that respect must not be overlooked.
Making research careers more attractive by reducing
the incidence of short-term contract employment in the early stages
of a career, and increasing the level of early career remuneration
15. The BBSRC recognises that these issues
were raised in the White Paper. The initiatives underway will
have some impact, bit it seems likely that this area will require
further action if scientific research is to compete with the other
careers open to PhD graduates.
Ensuring that public debate about science is well
informed, and that increased weight is placed on assessing the
views of the public before establishing research priorities
16. The Council particularly welcome the
initiatives in this area, including the proposed Code of Practice
for all scientific advisory committees, the emphasis on improved
scientific communication, and the recognition of the role played
by consumers in the innovation cycle. The BBSRC has now geared
specific website pages to gather views from the wider public on
each new research initiative which the Council proposes to launch.
It also offers via its website comprehensive information about
contemporary bioscience research and the social policy and ethical
issues which are implied. It would welcome increased use of these
pages by schools as a means of encouraging scientific literacy
and informed debate about the issues raised by the modern biosciences.
January 2001
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