Short-termism
38. The need to publish in order to stay employed
encourages CRS to select projects in which the likelihood of rapid
publication is high. Thus the system encourages short-termism,
stimulating "a brain-drain from risky to safe research areas".[92]
We have been told that the contract research system focuses the
attention on short-term goals and creates instability that hampers
scientific advances that usually require a long-term commitment
to research.[93]
Dr Eva Link, formerly of University College, London, told us:
"If you have a two or three or one year
contract it is absolutely impossible for young people to develop
their skills, to develop their intellectual capacity and become
independent and, of course, for senior people who are employed
on short term contracts: it is absolutely killing the system of
long term research".[94]
FOR INSTITUTIONS
39. In some areas of research recruitment is difficult
and it is hard to retain good staff.[95]
CRS are always on the lookout for their next contract or a permanent
position outside research. The rules of some Research Councils
on CRS can force them to move on. We have learnt of a researcher
who was not eligible to apply for a grant because there were only
three months left on his contract and no-one was available to
front a bid from the university. He found another institution
where there was a cooperative academic, made an application, and
secured the grant.[96]
The high turnover of CRS must place a huge administrative burden
and cost on the university.[97]
A large proportion of the time of university personnel departments
is devoted to CRS. Academics' time must be consumed equally wastefully.
11 HM Treasury, SET for success: The supply of people
with science, technology, engineering and mathematical skills.
(Report of Sir Gareth Roberts' Review), April 2002, para 5.12 Back
12
Ev 156 Back
13
Ev 51 Back
14
Ev 55 Back
15
Ev 75 Back
16
Ev 109-110 Back
17
Ev 104 Back
18
Ev 150 Back
19
Ev 156, Q32 Back
20
Ev 157-158 Back
21
Ev 146, 110 Back
22
Ev 77 Back
23
Memorandum from Frances Moore, University of Oxford [not printed] Back
24
Ev 54 Back
25
Ev 127 Back
26
Ev 109-110 Back
27
Ev 154 Back
28
Q 78 Back
29
Memorandum from Susan Cooper [not printed] Back
30
Q 22 Back
31
Q 79 Back
32
Ev 155 Back
33
Ev 105 Back
34
Ev 94 Back
35
Q 20 Back
36
Q 47 Back
37
HM Treasury, SET for success: The supply of people with science,
technology, engineering and mathematical skills. (Report of
Sir Gareth Roberts' Review), April 2002, figure 5.3. Back
38
HM Treasury, SET for success: The supply of people with science,
technology, engineering and mathematical skills. (Report of
Sir Gareth Roberts' Review), April 2002, para 5.24. Back
39
Ev 62 Back
40
Q 49 Back
41
Ev 74 Back
42
Memorandum from Dr Christine Knott [not printed] Back
43
HM Treasury, SET for success: The supply of people with science,
technology, engineering and mathematical skills. (Report of
Sir Gareth Roberts' Review), April 2002, para 5.29. Back
44
Ev 107 Back
45
Ev 116 Back
46
Q 50 Back
47
Ev 100-101 Back
48
HM Treasury, 2002 Spending Review, Cm 5570, p 144 Back
49
Q 138 Back
50
Fifth Report of the Science and Technology Committee, Session
2001-02, Government Funding of the Scientific Learned Societies,
HC 774I, para 87 Back
51
Ev 173 Back
52
Ev 38 Back
53
Ev 49 Back
54
Ev 66 Back
55
Q 99 Back
56
Supplementary memorandum from the Association of University Teachers
[not printed] Back
57
Ev 107 Back
58
Q 116 Back
59
Ev 173 Back
60
Ev 156 Back
61
Ev 66 Back
62
Memorandum from Dr Diane Wensley [not printed] Back
63
Ev 93 Back
64
Nature (1999), 397, 640-641 Back
65
Ev 105, 135 Back
66
Ev 105 Back
67
Ev 64 Back
68
Ev 130 Back
69
Q 8 Back
70
Memorandum from Laurence Jones [not printed] Back
71
Q 5, 7 Back
72
Memorandum from Amicus-MSF Section [not printed] Back
73
Ev 80 Back
74
Ev 134, Memorandum from the Engineering Professors' Council [not
printed] Back
75
Memorandum from the Dr DL Clements [not printed] Back
76
Ev 109 Back
77
Ev 156 Back
78
Ev 157-158 Back
79
Memorandum from the Systematics Association [not printed] Back
80
Q 70 Back
81
Ev 33-34 Back
82
Ev 110, 111 Back
83
Q 71 Back
84
Ev 70 Back
85
Ev 157 Back
86
Q 10 Back
87
Q 75 Back
88
Ev 104 Back
89
Ev 116-117 Back
90
Memorandum from Dr Christine Knott [not printed] Back
91
Ev 76 Back
92
Ev 106 Back
93
Memorandum from Dr D Fletcher-Holmes and Ms J Ewins [not printed],
Ev 114 Back
94
Q 89 Back
95
Ev 115, Q 10 Back
96
Ev 80 Back
97
Ev 92, 93 Back