STFC grant funding mechanisms review - community consultation

Request for community input to the review of STFC grant funding mechanisms

Background

Over the past few months, STFC has been reviewing the delivery of its support for the exploitation of current facilities and experiments (including associated theoretical activity but excluding post launch support) in universities and other research groups. This support is served through research grants and funding via STFC Laboratories (e.g. Particle Physics (PP) experimental allocations) peer reviewed by the STFC grants panels. A Panel has been established, chaired by Professor James Stirling, to undertake this review and it aims to deliver its recommendations to the STFC Executive by the end of September 2010.

The review has not addressed issues relating to the optimal balance between research grants and other types of expenditure associate with the research programme (projects, international subscriptions, training etc.), since these are dealt with by Science Board and its advisory panels.

Why are we conducting the review?

STFC has been considering the idea of reviewing its grants funding mechanisms for some time now. A review will be included as a high priority action in the upcoming STFC Strategic Plan and recent discussions at STFC Council have highlighted the difficulties of managing grant funding in more volatile financial times where balancing support for long term programmes, with the need to retain funding flexibility, is required. STFC and its Council, along with the other Research Councils, are also concerned about the administrative burden being placed on its community, grants panels and staff in running the current grant funding mechanisms, particularly in the light of recent Government statements on the need to significantly reduce administration costs in the public sector.

Is there a favoured outcome?

No, there isn’t. There is no “preferred” solution; the Review Panel has been asked to consider, from first principles, the most appropriate mechanisms to deliver research resource to universities and research institutions, while meeting the requirements set out in the criteria below.

Consultation undertaken with STFC grants panels

The Review Panel has maintained a close cooperation with the STFC Grants Panels throughout the review. Their views have been sought on the current mechanisms and what works and what does not, and as the options emerged, they were consulted again on their feasibility and potential implications of such options.

Community consultation

We would now like to seek the views of the wider STFC community on the options that have emerged to date, the possible variations on the options we have suggested and any additional options/variations you may wish to put forward. Please note that, in implementing any of the options developed so far, the overall principle of those options would be common across the STFC programme, but they would be open to variation for the different science communities depending on the structure of their programme and projects.

In considering any options for future grant mechanisms we ask that you review them against the following criteria we have drawn up for an “ideal” mechanism:

• Recognises and rewards science excellence
• Focuses upon STFC’s strategic priorities
• Allows the focussing of support to secure critical mass and impact
• Has the flexibility to respond to different needs
• Meets the desire to exploit current and past investment in facilities and experiments
• Addresses the need to provide access to key skills and capabilities
• Fosters education and training
• Delivers pathways to impact, trackable outcomes, and fosters technology development where appropriate
• Delivers administrative and managerial efficiency, particularly in terms of the assessment procedure, producing funding decisions in a timely manner, and balancing the need for rigorous peer-review assessment of proposals with the desire not to impose an undue burden on applicants, reviewers or the office
• Provides appropriate stability of support to allow long term research projects

The consultation form is available here and will close at 4pm on 6th September 2010.

View the options for consultation (PDF - 103kB - link opens in a new window) document which describes the options on which we are seeking input.