From Richard Brook, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Swindon
There was fine irony in the headline “Time for a change”
(Letters, 31 May, p 51)
which you used to present Mike Glazer’s proposals for the operation of
Britain’s research councils. He proposes that “the British science budget be
divided between all the various departments, based on existing quality criteria
and past research income”. This system consists of staring steadfastly into the
past and checking every four years that it is safe to change nothing.
Glazer suggests there are two objections to the present system. First, that
scientists are submitted to an unremitting treadmill of writing proposals.
Secondly, that the councils must keep an over-costly organisation to select the
winners. However, with success rates for research applications to the EPSRC
running at 40 per cent there is no need for scientists to spend time writing a
constant stream of applications. Sustaining this success rate achieves the
target of reducing administration costs, which Glazer seeks. This policy has
enabled us to channel £6 million from administration into research over
the past three years.
