Growing_the_Best_and_Brightest._The_Drivers_of_Research_Excellence

Growing the best and brightest March 2014
spent; the flexibility around delivery
timescales; and the qualifications of staff that
could be used to undertake work on the
project. The view was that these
requirements have a bearing on how
research is undertaken. Interviewees made
similar observations in relation to the
funding of capital projects.
» The third was associated with the individual
and institution wide “signalling benefit”
associated with different types of funding.
For example, grant funding won after a peer
reviewed process was seen as a broader
marker of credibility. A fellowship from a
respected organisation (such as the
Wellcome Trust) was seen as endorsement
of an individual’s capability.
With this in mind, the HEIs raised a number of
actual or potential challenges:
the restrictions that come with Research
Council funds noted above, including an
actual or perceived tendency for Research
Council grants to be biased towards larger
projects;
whether UK institutions were as good as
they could be in advertising their skills
and capabilities to attract international
funding; and
the availability of funding for PhD
students.
Both the existing literature and evidence from
our interviews highlights the benefits of a mix
of funding sources. Receiving funds from a
variety of sources allows institutions to be
more flexible in the projects they undertake
and how they conduct them.
How funding facilities affects
research excellence
Facilities were discussed in two contexts
with interviewees. The first was in terms of
specialist equipment such as labs or
machinery. Subjects such as engineering and
physics could not take place without highly
specialised equipment, which often requires
considerable funds. Subjects such as history
and English literature also require specialist
facilities – in terms of libraries. One
interviewee noted that there was
considerable value in there being a copyright
library only a short walk from their office.
All respondents that highlighted the
importance of libraries discussed the
concentration in London, and the ‘pull’ that
this creates.
For most subject areas, some form of
specialist equipment is a prerequisite for
producing excellent research. The cost of
ensuring access to the required facilities
varies hugely depending on the subject area,
but the overall consensus among
interviewees was that the existing specialist
facilities were adequate. Researchers will
always welcome more specialist equipment,
but the present level of access is not
fundamentally holding them back.
The second context facilities were discussed
in was related to the estate – the buildings,
along with the location of offices. As
discussed earlier, collaborations can be
formed through informal meetings in
corridors. One interviewee told us that
people from different departments were
located in the same building in order to
facilitate interdisciplinary connections.
Buildings should also have adequate
communal areas in which people can meet
and interact with others.
Interviewees expressed the view that
periodic and unpredictable allowances for
capital funding unduly restricted the type of
investments that were made and introduced
difficulties in planning for the future.