MEMORANDUM 15
Supplementary evidence from the Office
of Science and Innovation following the evidence session on 17
January 2007
RESPONSES TO
FOLLOW UP
QUESTIONS
The size of the single fund for health research
and whether this represents a reduction from the current combined
research budgets of the NHS and MRC (Qq 65-6 refers)
The Fund will during 2007-08 initially comprise
the MRC's existing allocation from the Science Budget of £546
million and the NHS R&D Budget in England of £730 million,
a combined total of £1276 million. The size of the single
fund in subsequent years will be determined as part of the spending
review process.
The frequency with which assessment exercises
will be carried out under the new system which replaces the RAE
(Q77 refers)
DfES have informed the Department that the cycle
for the new forms of research assessment will be among the details
of the new arrangements now being developed by HEFCE.
Is CCLRC currently in deficit and will that have
an impact on the overall grant-giving budget following the merger
with PPARC to create STFC (Qq 82-4 refers)
Last autumn, CCLRC, with OSI agreement, commissioned
KPMG to review CCLRC budgetary processes. KPMG later reported
that CCLRC had run effective processes, and made specific recommendations
on budgetary treatments. The latter have now been implemented,
which means that the STFC will not inherit a deficit from CCLRC.
How would potential conflicts of interest among
people who were finding themselves awarding grants but who also
used the facilities be monitored? Is there a potential conflict
there (Qq 82-4 refers)
Assessment of grant applications in the STFC
will be done by peer review, as is the case for all grant awarding
Councils. The primary criterion for funding will remain scientific
excellence, and the optimised utilisation of the STFC's own facilities
will not be a criterion for receipt of grant funding. The distribution
of grant funding will be monitored by a Committee, which will
report to Council.
February 2007
| 
