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Research Active The Newsletter of University of Kent Research Services, Vol 9, Issue 2, Feb 2015
THE OUTCOME OF THE REF After five years of preparations and an anxious final year of waiting, the REF2014 results were released on 18 December 2014. The VC and PVC presented them to an open meeting of all staff in Woolf on the same day. ‘This is an excellent result for the University, and I would like to thank all of you for the part you played in securing it,’ said Prof Dame Julia Goodfellow. Kent’s submission had been inclusive, and the University had included 85% of eligible staff in the exercise, the 13th highest proportion submitted by any university. This, together with a 40% increase in overall academic staff since 2008, meant that it performed particularly well in the ‘power’ (which factored in the total number of ‘full time equivalent’ (FTE) staff), and the ‘intensity’ (percentage of eligible staff submitted) tables. 97% of Kent’s research was of international quality (2*+), up from 87% in 2008. 73% of its research is 3*, up from 55% in 2008. This placed it 17th in the UK for research intensity amongst comparable multi-unit universities, and it outperformed 11 of the 24 Russell Group universities. (see table, right). Similarly, Kent’s score for research power increased by 59%, the third largest increase of the top 50 research-intensive universities. For further commentary, go to p10
Top 30 Universities for Research Intensity 1
University of Cambridge
Units Submitted 32
2
Imperial College London
14
3
University College London
36
4
University of Bristol
31
4
University of Oxford
31
6
London School of Economics and Political Science
14
7
Queen’s University Belfast
28
7
University of Southampton
26
9
University of the Highlands and Islands
6
10
University of Warwick
23
11
University of Edinburgh
31
12
Loughborough University
18
13
University of Glasgow
32
14
University of St Andrews
20
15
King’s College London
27
16
University of Strathclyde
17
17
University of Exeter
25
17
University of Kent
23
17
University of Reading
23
20
University of Essex
14
21
University of Birmingham
33
22
Durham University
23
23
Goldsmiths, University of London
13
24
Newcastle University
28
24
University of Manchester
35
26
University of Nottingham
32
27
Lancaster University
16
28
Birkbeck, University of London
14
29
Royal Holloway, University of London
17
30
University of York
24
Rank
Institution
1
Image: BIS
Science Strategy Launched Sir Mark Walport, former Director of Wellcome and now Chief Scientific Advisor, played a significant part in drafting the Strategy.
On the same day that the REF results were announced the Government launched Our Plan for Growth: Science and Innovation. This provides a long-term blueprint for the Government’s research policy. However, it gives little detail about future spending plans, beyond what was already in the autumn statement, which set out how the projected £1.1 billion annual capital budget for science for 2015-16 to 2020-21 might be spent, and there were no promises of protecting (or ‘ring-fencing’) the Science budget. Nevertheless, the Strategy does provide a useful insight into the direction that Government wants to take. It is worth noting: That future Science policy will be structured around distinct priorities: as it says early on, ‘we cannot hope to do everything equally well.’ As a starting point, these will be the ‘8 Great Technologies’: big data, satellites, robotics, synthetic biology, regenerative medicine, agri-science, nanotechnology, and energy. That the Government wants to ‘nurture scientific talent,’ and will be pushing for more training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. This highlights an interesting point. The Strategy
is intended to apply to all research. It states that ‘what the Germans would call Wissenschaft, the natural, physical and social sciences, engineering, technology, the arts and humanities...this strategy uses the word science to encompass all of the above.’ However, the Humanities are only mentioned four times in the 78 page document; the Social Sciences are mentioned three times. Seven references altogether; six of those are shared. The references are more in passing (two are as labels in a spider graph), and neither is mentioned in any detail, or included in any of the plans. That they want to fund infrastructure. Whilst the Coalition took capital funding out of the science budget in 2010, there is a lot of talk in the Strategy about ‘big’ investments and (as the Guardian notes—see the link in the box below) there is a ‘hint at a change in thinking in its emphasis on the role of science and technology in place-making: for instance, in driving the growth of science-based clusters.’ That they want to continue the dual support system for funding research. However, there is much rumour (see The 2
Guardian again) about what form that will take. A proposed review of the Research Councils suggests that change is afoot in how they operate. That they want to maximise ‘innovation’ and interaction with commercial organisations. It is clear that the Government believes that there is huge potential here, and that the sector needs to be doing more to make the most of the findings of its research. As well as the Nurse Review of RCUK there will be reviews into the relationship between research and business, and intellectual property markets. That they want to do more to ‘internationalise’ UK research, from such initiatives as the Newton Fund, to investing in global projects. What to know more?
The Strategy itself is available
to download at http://bit.ly/ BISscistrat The Guardian has a good analysis at http://bit.ly/scistrat. In addition, Phil Ward’s Funding Insight column looked for hidden meaning in the Strategy, here: http://bit.ly/PWscistrat
What Are We? ...and what should we be? The Institutional Strategic Plan of the University is due to be drafted over the next few months. The PVC, Prof Philippe De Wilde, has taken the opportunity to canvass the Research & Innovation Board and the Directors of Research on the kind of university that Kent is, and the kind it aspires to be. A number of common themes emerged, including: That many wanted the University to take more risks; However, this needs to be balanced with retaining the attributes that make Kent a desirable place to work, including collegiality, academic freedom, critical thinking and an interdisciplinary ethos; That the University’s ambition should be about making a difference, and that it shouldn’t be frightened of considering big, ambitious aims. It should be inspired and idealistic;
Jenny Rafferty Jenny Rafferty has retired from her post as Accounts Manager in Research Services after 35 years service. ‘She will be a great loss to the University,’ said Simon Kerridge, Director of Research Services. ‘She has provided consistency and clarity in an increasingly complicated financial and regulatory environment. Under her management the University has developed an enviable reputation amongst funders for its excellent account management.’ Jenny has been honoured by the Queen with an MBE for services to higher education, a fitting end to a great career.
Prof Philippe De Wilde, PVC Research & Innovation That there is a need to increase
research income, and to foster a more collaborative environment. The University is of a size where it is possible to have conversations between disciplines, and more of this should be encouraged. In addition, collaborations outside of Kent should be wel-
comed, and the EU Partnership Fund was considered to be a positive step in facilitating this (see p5); That the current planning process is too short term. There is a need for a longer, more strategic commitment to long term development of five or more years; That there is a need to balance teaching, administration and research, and allow more time for the latter by better managing the former. In addition, some consideration should be given to ‘specialisation’, of recognising the worth of those who are better teachers or administrators than researchers, and that they are given promotion on the back of this; That the University shouldn’t be led by league tables, although all recognised that they were an unavoidable part of the higher education landscape. There was a danger in being a ‘hostage’ to numbers; That the University should be embedded in the community it serves. The PVC took on board these comments, and will discuss the findings with Executive Group as it prepares the Plan.
New Research Accounts Manager Appointed Nigel Martin will take over as the new Research Accounts Manager on 2 March. Nigel has almost 20 years experience providing finance services within the public sector, most recently at Buckinghamshire New University and at the Institute of Education. A Kent graduate, Nigel trained as an accountant at Reeves in Canterbury after leaving the University, and worked at housing associations before moving into Higher Education. He has been involved in all aspects of the research project cycle – reviewing costings, approving bids, checking contracts, overseeing pro3
ject accounting, completing financial reports and liaising with auditors. He also took the lead in preparing TRAC and HE-BCI returns and providing financial support for the REF. Nigel and his wife moved back to the Canterbury area last February with Nigel taking up the role of Deputy Director of Finance at the Institute of Education in London, leading the finance team to the merger with UCL in December 2014. Nigel brings a wealth of experience to Kent and is committed to developing the team, systems and processes within Research Accounts to deliver an excellent service to the research community.
British Academy and Policy Makers Brian Lingley Social Sciences Funding Officer
I recently attended an event at the British Academy. Apart from receiving information about their current and future funding schemes, there was a general undertone that they want to highlight to Government the importance of the BA and its work. The majority of funding for the BA comes from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills – around £25M, out of total income of about £27M. This is due to come up for review in the summer, and, in the current climate of austerity, there is no guarantee that it will be maintained. So, the BA are anxious to demonstrate the vital role that they, and Social Science and Humanities scholars in general, play in the UK. You may have seen the press coverage of the recent joint statement made by the BA and other National academies on “Building a Stronger Future: Research, Innovation, and Growth” They have recently employed a Policy Manager for Higher Education and Public Policy, Thomas Kohut, to help build links with Whitehall. Part of his role is to bring policy makers and researchers together. So, if your research, especially if it is or has been funded by the BA, has policy implications, please bring it to the attention of Thomas and his team at policy@britac.ac.uk. This will not only help the BA to make their case, but it will also help you disseminate your research. The BA policy team are able to make introductions and convene meetings with Whitehall policy makers, particularly in the following areas: The UK Constitution Economy and Public Spending Environment and Sustainability Social Cohesion and Equality Culture and Heritage
The Figures behind the Figures A regular look at the work of those who have won grants at Kent leagues from Argentina and Chile, and the BA gave her enormous freedom to develop the project and produce unforeseen outcomes. The project demonstrated one of her motivations: to get out, to meet new colleagues, and to forge new collaborations. She recognises that this doesn’t motivate everyone, but Dr Natalia Sobrevilla would encourage othSchool of European Languages & Cultures ers to apply for funding When I showed Dr Natalia Sobre- to realise their research potential: it villa Perea a list of her applications will buy you time to do the reand awards over the last seven search, or hire assistance, or access years, she seemed genuinely archives. ‘My advice to others shocked. ‘I’d forgotten about some would be to start small and don’t of these,’ she said as she looked give up.’ down the list, ‘but it does show that It’s a lesson she learned early. Her perseverance pays off.’ dyslexia pushed her to prove herAnd how. Natalia, a Reader in His- self, and taught her that perfectionpanic Studies, has put in 11 applica- i s m w a s n o t e v e r y t h i n g . tions and got five awards, totalling ‘Perfectionism is the enemy of creaalmost £100,000. Her first two ap- tivity’, she says. ‘It is the idea that is plications were unsuccessful, but the most important thing. Without she never gave up. ‘I had in mind a an interesting idea, an interesting larger project, and submitted a se- question, nothing is possible. An ries of applications to allow me to idea opens up new horizons. You explore different facets of it.’ can always get help and support, Her research, she laughingly admits, through grants, to realise the idea.’ is focussed on an area ‘that nobody Her current application is her largcares about’: nineteenth century est yet, to the Leverhulme Trust. Peru. The secret of her success has Once again it’s to make links with been her ability to ‘translate’ her others working in the field. ‘It’s an interest to those outside the area, International Network,’ she says, and demonstrate its relevance to ‘which will look at how war became wider history, policy, and culture. a catalyst for the creation of identiIt’s a crucial skill for anyone putting ty in South America.’ If successful, it together a funding application. will double her current grant total. Her most productive recent project If unsuccessful, you know it’s only a was funded by a British Academy matter of time before it’s funded International Partnership grant. It elsewhere. ‘A rejection is never the allowed her to link up with col- end,’ she smiles. ResearchActive is edited by Phil Ward. Contact him for more information or clarification on any of the items in this edition. For the latest from the world of research funding, go to fundermental.blogspot.com, or Twitter @unikentresearch 4
An Overview of Research Funding, Sept-Dec 2014 Largest Individual Awards (titles of projects listed overleaf) Humanities: Prof Gordon Lynch (SECL) £24,421 from Leverhulme
Last term the University secured its first BBSRC ‘LoLa’ (Longer and Larger Award), led by Prof Martin Warren in Biosciences. This had a considerable effect on the overall
awards for the term, with Sciences receiving more than 2/3rds of the funding. Elsewhere Dr Nathan Gomes (EDA) secured Kent’s first H2020 grant as coordinator. Humanities 1%
Social Sciences 28%
Sciences: Prof Martin Warren (Biosciences) £1,439,202 from the BBSRC
Sciences 71%
Total Award Value by Faculty
Other (<2%) 15%
Royal Society 3%
Social Sciences: Prof Peter Taylor-Gooby (SSPSSR) £427,137 from the NWO
Award Value
DEFRA 3% ERC 3%
BBSRC 31%
EPSRC 7%
DSTL 9%
NWO 9%
Leverhulme 6%
European Commission 14%
Research Prizes
EU Partnership Fund
There were 40 applications to the inaugural Research Prizes competition in January. (RA,Vol 9 Issue 1). Nominations were received from 16 of the University’s 20 Schools, and the tough job of selecting both Faculty and University winners will be undertaken later this month by a panel led by the PVC, Prof Philippe De Wilde. The winners will be announced at a gala dinner on 27 March 2015.
In the last edition of ResearchActive we announced the launch of the PVC’s EU Partnership Fund. The first awards have been made: Dr Ben Goult (Biosciences): Funding to spend a week in the laboratory of a prominent microtubules expert, Prof Anna Akhmanova, in Utrecht University; Prof Elena Korostoleva (PolIR): Funding for her consortium, (i) to support institutionalisation of the newly expanded network; (ii) to 5
finalise its conceptual and methodological framework for a H2020 project bid; and (iii) to develop an impact/dissemination strategy beyond the life of the project. If you would like to develop a partnership with colleagues in EU or H2020-associated countries, email p.dewilde@kent.ac.uk with the following details: a title, abstract, details of prospective partners, estimated expenditure on travel and subsistence, and a plan for income generation.
FULL LIST OF AWARDS: 1 Sept—31 Dec 2014* Faculty of HumaniƟes School of Arts Allain
UK visit of Studio ROSA
Polish Cultural £ 1,200 Bri sh Society £ 2,500 of Aesthe cs
Atencia Linares Aesthe cs, Norma vity and Reasons Radosavljevic
Kirchin
The mums and babies' ensemble: theatre‐making with the early AHRC £ 11,713 years School of European Culture and Languages Bri sh Society Aesthe cs, Norma vity and Reasons. £ 2,500 of Aesthe cs
Lynch
Leverhulme Visi ng Professorship ‐ Mia Lovheim
Radoilska
Fact/Value Dis nc on_Mind Associa on
Williamson
Combining Probablility and Logic ‐ LMS
Leverhulme £ 24,421 Trust Mind Associa‐ £ 1,000 on London Mathe‐ £ 1,770 ma cal Society
Faculty of Sciences Centre for Molecular Processing Michaelis
Bayer grant
Bayer plc
£ 50,000
Robinson
Development of E.coli strains with novel tat‐based export sys‐ tems for therapeu c protein produc on
MedImmune
£ 44,000
School of Biosciences Goult
Developing novel stretch vectors
Biochemical
£ 1,250
Howard
NMR Spectroscopy to bioindustry and bioprocessing
EPSRC
£ 20,000
Kad
Understanding the molecular origins of cardiomyopathy using a Bri sh Heart single molecule imaging approach Founda on
£ 22,000
Tullet
Exploring the diet‐dependant ac on of the pro‐longevity tran‐ scrip on factor DAF‐16/FoxO in the C.elegans intes ne
£ 14,993
Warren
Development of supramolecular assemblies for enhancing cellu‐ lar produc vity and the synthesis of fine chemicals and biothera‐ BBSRC peu cs.
Royal Society
£ 1,439,203
School of CompuƟng Owens
Verifying concurrent algorithms on weak memory models
EPSRC
£ 285,988
School of Engineering and Digital Arts Gao
Ac ve and passive wideband LTE antennas for mobile devices
Huawei
£ 90,000
Gomes
ICIRRUS
EC
£ 389,216
Gomes
Radio technologies for 5G using Advanced Photonic Infrastruc‐ ture for Dense user environments (RAPID)
EC
£ 231,570
6
Howells
Empowerment of disabled people through ethics in care and technology (EDECT) Phase 2
Interreg IV 2 Seas Pro‐ gramme (North)
£ 26,818
Howells
Enabling autonomy for unmanned robo c systems (AUR)
Royal Society
£ 12,000
Jingyuan Sun
Characterisa on of fluidiza on processes through advanced monitoring and computa onal modelling
Royal Society
£ 99,000
Yan
CO2 Flow Metering ‐ A Visit to Tianjin University
EPSRC
£ 17,779
Yan
Mul ‐phase Flow Metering through Sta s cal Data Fusion
KROHNE
£ 67,200
Ridout Wang
School of MathemaƟcs, StaƟsƟcs and Actuarial Science Development of models to predict the distribu on of great crest‐ DEFRA ed newts Mul ‐phase Flow Metering through Sta s cal Data Fusion
KROHNE
£ 2,346 £ 2,000
School of Physical Sciences Blight
The synthesis and charaterisa on of styrene‐based reac ve su‐ per polymeric absorbents for the degrada on of organophospho‐ DSTL rous deriva ves.
£ 195,284
Holder
The Synthesis and Characterisa on of Styrene‐based Reac ve Super Polymeric Absorbents for the Degrada on of Organophos‐ DSTL phorous Deriva ves
£ 201,628
School of Sport and Exercise Sciences Dickinson
Singing and COPD in Lambeth & Southwark
The Guy’s and St Thomas’ £ 7,980 Charity
Passfield
Training Study of Runners and Triathletes on Op mal Training with Novel Technology
Polar
£ 24,326
Faculty of Social Sciences Kent Business School Hampton
Grabham Sheldon
Griffiths Roberts Skinner
Socio‐economic impact of coastal tourism ‐ Vietnam
Bri sh Council £ 22,610
Kent Law School Regula ng Time: New Pespec ves on Regula on, Law, and Tem‐ AHRC porali es The Abor on Act 1967: a historical review
£ 31,734
Wellcome Trust £ 4,483
School of Anthropology and ConservaƟon Development of models to predict the distribu on of great crest‐ DEFRA £ 146,536 ed newts Ornamental The benefits of wild caught ornamental aqua c organisms Aqua c Trade £ 39,440 Associa on The Evolu on of the Human Hand: Grasping Trees and Tools ERC £ 156,591 (GRASP) 7
Continued over
School of PoliƟcs and InternaƟonal RelaƟons Lee
China's AIDS NGOs: A Vehicle for Norm Changes?
Wellcome Trust £ 4,965
School of Psychology Experimental Psychology So‐ £ 3,500 ciety
Brooks
Workshop in honour of Professor Jon Driver and his influence through mentoring others
Ferguson
Imagining the self in fic onal worlds: Evidence from Au sm Spec‐ Leverhulme trum Disorder Trust
Kelly
Can mul sensory inputs facilitate other‐race face procesing?
Breeze
Philanthropic Journeys
Breeze
Rising to the Challenge: A study of philanthropic support for un‐ Migrant Help popular causes Trading
£ 7,500
Breeze
Why Rich People Give
£ 25,000
Brookes
Evalua on of Shared Lives Growth
Callaghan
Shared Lives Plus ‐ outcome tool project Apr 14
Chung
Part me careers in Norway ‐ the end of normalisa on? Wom‐ en's working me adapta on in a longitudinal perspec ve.
Research Coun‐ £ 7,542 cil of Norway
Lee
Paren ng Cultures and Risk Management in Plural Norway
Research Coun‐ £ 8,775 cil of Norway
Merri
Detailed research into the benefits of the Bri sh Lung Founda‐ on's "Breathe Easy" voluntary group network
Bri sh Lung Founda on
Peckham
Competency frameworks for staff working in pallia ve care
Pilgrims Hospic‐ £ 23,089 es in East Kent
Shilling
Research into Teaching and Learning prac cal Embodied Knowledge
Taylor‐Gooby
Welfare State Futures: Our Children's Europe (WelfSOC)
Wilson
Ar st in residence ‐ Ms Leah Thorn
£ 225,482
Experimental Psychology So‐ £ 2,500 ciety School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research Highwood Fdn £ 5,000
Pears/Anon Shared Lives Plus Shared Lives Plus
£ 39,791 £ 37,998
£ 74,725
Swedish Re‐ £ 30,290 search Council NWO (Netherlands Organisa on £ 427,137 for Scien fic Research) Leverhulme £ 14,520 Trust
*The list given above are for all awards of £1,000 or more. They do not include extensions or supplements
...but there’s more to recognition than funding Whilst funding is an important indicator of research activity, there are other metrics. One of the most commonly used, particularly in the
Sciences, is citations count. To get a sense of how others view the University’s strengths, Kent has recently subscribed to the leading system for analysing such data, Elsevier’s SciVal system. SciVal has access to some 30m publication records from 21,000 journals of 5,000 publishers 8
worldwide. It provides insights into the research performance of 4,600 research institutions in 220 countries. Future editions of ResearchActive will feature some highlights from SciVal. In the meantime all staff can access it at http://bit.ly/kentscival
Public Engagement with Research Fund
Deadline 20 March 2015 The Public Engagement with Research Fund is now open for applications.
The Fund provides funding for activities such as: Communicating research activity and outcomes; Listening to public views and concerns; Involving the public as researchers; Developing collaborative re-
search and co-inquiry projects; The Fund is open to applications (maximum budget £2000) from academics in all three Faculties. Want to know more? Go to http://bit.ly/kentper, or contact Lynne Bennett (l.bennett-282@kent.ac.uk)
Interdisciplinary Sandpits As part of the Kent’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, the University is funding three interdisciplinary research ‘sandpits’. Sandpits are residential interactive workshops that take place over three days. Having a period of time to work with others, to focus on broad issues, test ideas and assumptions and develop interesting solutions to difficult problems is a rare opportunity in today’s academy, and goes back to the founding interdisciplinary, collegiate principles of the University. As well as building on its interdisciplinary past the sandpits will open up the University to its collaborative future. Two of the sandpits will be open to Eastern ARC colleagues from UEA and Essex; the other will invite colleagues working in independent labs and pharmaceutical companies across Kent and the south east. The sandpits will be led by the same team that runs similar events for the Research Councils. As well as academic colleagues there will be guest speakers, stakeholders and others who will inform and provoke discussion. More information and a call for participants will be published shortly, but in the meantime the focus and dates of the three sandpits are given below. If you want more information get in touch with Phil Ward (p.ward@kent.ac.uk, xtn 7748)
Who Wants to Live to be 100 if..? 6-8 May 2015 Devonport House, Greenwich 10m people in the UK are over 65 years old, and this number is expected to rise to 19m by 2050. Within this total, the number of people over 80 is growing even faster. There are currently 3m people aged more than 80 years and this is projected to almost double by 2030 and reach 8m by 2050. Many researchers agree that what we are seeing now is a celebration of extending healthy ageing, but with it comes a fear of frailty, dementia, and disability in later life. Do these fears ‘trump’ our wish to live long? What limits do we set on longevity, and how can we ensure that reaching 100 is not to be dreaded? The Past of the 21st Century City 17-19 June 2015 Devonport House, Greenwich The 21st century is set to be the age of the city. In preparing for the future, the long history of urbanisation is often overlooked. Spanning some 6000 years, this global development left us with a rich record of scenarios and outcomes of urban cultures, comprising an enormous variety of both impressive achievements and cata9
strophic failures. Seeing 21st century cities as the culmination of a longterm ongoing process, how can we learn from past trajectories of urban development? What roles could, and should, the past play in designing and innovating for future-proof cities? How can we inculcate and improve visions of future cities with knowledge of preceding scenarios? Or is the urban past truly ‘all ancient history’? Living Pathways Date and venue to be confirmed, but should be held locally in June. Living things are complicated. Whether one considers individual molecules, cells, tissues or living beings, their complete structural and functional properties, and the pathways that link them and how they interact and regulate processes, are difficult to fully comprehend. Considering further, how these properties change with time and how they alter when things go wrong, the sheer volume and variety of data required to describe a living entity grows enormously. How can we best measure, describe and quantify these fundamental properties of life? How do we gather together the data obtained in a coherent, useful way? How can we then visualise and display these data in a way that fully engages both researchers and interested lay observers?
NERC Introduces ‘Demand Management’
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has followed the EPSRC in introducing measures to limit the number of applications it receives. Institutions that have had a success rate of less than 20% in the previous six grant rounds will be limited to submitting one application per round until their success rate rises. In addition it is cutting the maximum size of responsive mode grants from the current £1·2m to £800k (100% Full Economic Costing, £640k at 80% FEC).
Grants Factory & ECR Network : Spring Term This term sees a full programme of Grants Factory and ECR Network events. More details will be available nearer the time, but do drop a line to Phil Ward (p.ward@kent.ac.uk) if you want to take part in any of these events.
Want to know more? Full details are on the NERC website, here: http://bit.ly/nercdemand
Commentary Dr Simon Kerridge Director of Research Services We can unequivocally say that the REF2014 results are an outstanding success for Kent. Our overall strategy of quality and inclusivity has (quite literally) paid dividends. The overall quality (in terms of GPA or Grade Point Average) has increased from 2.60 to 2.95. Whilst some other institutions managed a larger increase in quality, for most this was at the expense of volume, by being more selective in their submission strategies. Across the UK there was a slight decrease in the number of staff submitted, but Kent submitted both a higher proportion and
absolute number of staff, equating to an increase of well over a third in terms of FTE – a key driver for the, soon to be announced, quality related (QR) funding allocation. Whilst we do not know exactly what this will equate to in terms of QR (for each of the next 6 years), with some assumptions we can make some calculations. This leads us to believe that our core QR funding (currently £8.5m per annum) is likely to increase by around 30%; perhaps £2.1-£2.9m per annum. However, this is not good news for everyone; with even the most optimistic estimate some subject areas will see a drop in their QR. So, what of the current REF? And, yes I do mean the one expected to be in 2020, to include outputs/ publications from 2014-2019. All we know for certain is that there are Open Access requirements for articles accepted for publication from 1st April 2016 (come along to the Open Access event on May 19th to find out more). It does however 10
seem likely that more metrics will be on offer to the panels and that impact will play an even larger role. But before you start/continue planning your submissions; please do take a moment to reflect on your success in REF2014 – Kent boasts the 3rd largest percentage increase in research power within the top 50 institutions. Well done all! In particular, I would like to highlight the leadership and tenacity of Professor John Baldock, the former PVC for Research, in guiding the University to this result. His analysis of the external policy landscape led to an insightful strategy based on a deep appreciation and understanding of the University’s strengths, resulting in our excellent submission. Moreover, his collegiate style, humour and candour in the run up to the submission was invaluable in diffusing tensions and ensuring that the process went as smoothly as possible. We owe him a debt of gratitude.
WELCOME!
Coming Soon: A triple bill for Science Academics
14 academics have joined Kent since October. Join with us in welcoming them to Kent, and take a moment to find out about their research interests. Dr Gloria C h a m o r r o (SECL, left): second language acquisition, bilingualism and first language attrition. Dr Peter Ellis (Biosciences): sex chromosome evolution, the role of sex -linked genes in fertility and offspring sex ratio, and in particular of Zfyrelated genes in male and female fertility Dr Geraldine Fahy (SAC): the use of stable isotope analysis to answer a range of questions related to diet, disease and identification. Prof Michelle Garrett (Biosciences, right): cell signalling and cell division, and how these cellular processes can be targeted for the treatment of cancer. Prof Kevin Grant (KBS): Technological based Innovation focussing on leveraging and aligning disruptive technologies; Academic Enterprise/ Triple Helix and the nexus between teaching, research and consultancy. Dr David Kelly (Psychology): Visual and cognitive development in the first year of life. Dr Ben Marsh (History): the social and economic history of the Atlantic world c.1500-1800 and the settlement of early America, including gender and race history. Dr Omar Nasim (History, left): observa-
tional sciences, perception, and visualization practices. Dr Ciara P a d d e n (Tizard, right): the links between stress, health and well-being among carers of individuals with developmental disabilities; behaviour analytic principles to improve the quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities. Dr Matthew Skinner (SAC): the analysis of teeth and bones to answer questions about the growth and development, diet, taxonomy and evolutionary history of living and extinct primates, including fossil human ancestors. Dr Guy Tchuente (Economics): Econometrics (theory and applications) and Labour Economics. Dr Jennifer Tullet (Biosciences): Understanding the genes and molecular mechanisms that regulate ageing and, how the environment (e.g. diet) can impact on this. Dr Brandon Wheeler ( S A C , right): behavioural ecology of nonhuman primates. Dr Rosie W y l e s (SECL): Greek and Roman performance arts, costume, reception within antiquity and beyond it, and gender.
Thinking strategically
Rebecca Steliaros, PhD 23rd April 2015, 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3pm, Venue TBC Rebecca worked for the EPSRC before going freelance. She now works for many of the leading universities, as well as advising on the development of policy for EPSRC and RCUK. She is currently leading a review into high-performance computing, and selecting which REF impact case studies EPSRC should highlight. Her session in April will be divided into three elements: 1. 2. 3.
Understanding the external funding landscape The smart way to succeed at EPSRC funding Growing your own research: The long-term plan
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CHOICE CUTS FROM THE BLOG
For the latest news and rumours from the world of research funding, log on to http://fundermental.blogspot.com EPSRC Christmas Ad 13 Nov 2014
Hot on the heels of the mawkish John Lewis and Sainsbury's adverts, EPSRC has unveiled its bid to capture yuletide hearts. The first scene takes place in the spring. The applicant rushes to his pigeon hole, rips open a letter to find a rejection note inside. A tear rolls down his despairing cheek, and a kindly PVC Research puts a comforting arm around him. The scene is repeated in summer and autumn, Each time a kindly PVC puts an arm around the applicant, mouthing the words, 'maybe next time.' The final scene is winter. For the last time the applicant runs to his pigeon hole. With trembling hands he opens another EPSRC letter. The Coldplay-ish soundtrack reaches a crescendo. The camera focuses in on the writing, in the letter which reveal the words: 'You're blacklisted. Stop pestering us.' The PVC puts a kindly arm around the applicant and hands him a P45. The camera pulls away and the scene fades into darkness, and the heartwarming words fill the screen: 'Yeah, so what. It's Christmas. We're dealing in science, not miracles. Get over it.' The EPSRC logo then appears, with the strapline written in a freehand font underneath: 'in an uncertain world, you can depend on us (to reject you).' It warms the cockles of your heart. Rumour has it that the AHRC are currently working on an advert that features Father Christmas swearing at the performers in a nativity play, screaming 'just because your parents like it, it doesn't make it practice-asresearch!'
ESRC Success Drops to 10% 27 Jan 2015 In November ESRC published scores and funding outcomes which showed that it had received 144 responsive mode applications for July. Of those, only 14 were funded, giving a success rate of 10%. More alarming, perhaps, was the number of high quality applications which didn't make it past the funding cut off point, which was in the 8-8.9 score range. In fact, there were more unsuccessful proposals in this range than there were successful ones. Thus, according to ESRC's own definitions, it has had to turn away more than half of the 'excellent â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;All Hail the High Priests of the Eureka Temple!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 25 Jan 2015 At Fundermental Towers University we are always keen to learn from others. We have therefore decided that all our academics will be given new and exciting titles in line with Bristol's recently advertised 'Associate Dean of Eureka Moments.' I've prepared a cut out and keep guide to these changes. The senior management is also working on appropriate forms of address for the new system. Before it is
proposals which are of significant value, and are highly likely to make a very important scientific contribution and/or will significantly enhance the development of the applicant's academic career.' The current system serves neither the applicants nor the ESRC well. I don't want to revisit old arguments here (I explored the problems with peer review previously on the blog) but I do believe we need to rethink the adversarial way we assess applications, and move to a more iterative, supportive and nurturing system of proposal development that works with the funders. Following publication of this post, there was an interesting Twitter discussion, storified here: bit.ly/esrc10 finalised, it is best for all address anyone of rank or achievement simply as 'my lord' or 'my lady'. We don't want to get hung up on ceremony. Yet.
Lookalike Corner News of the review of the Research Councils by Prof Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, brought to mind fellow celebrity and Blue Turtle dreamer, Sting. Blue Turtles? Sting has clearly been genetically modifying his fauna for some time. Nurse could learn much from the Geordie crooner. 12
Nurse
Sting