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Does the UK have the right research funding mix?
PSA Chief Executive, Michelle Doyle Wildman shares her reflections on a new report into trends in higher education research funding. And asks: is it time for a rethink?
Last week, the Academy of Social Sciences published its analysis of social science research funding in higher education and it’s well worth a look:
The PSA will be looking at the trends in Politics & IR research in more detail over the coming months.
At first glance, the social science research sector looks healthy overall, has seen growth over this period and is producing impactful results:
However, this is dwarfed by the investment made to Medical & Biological Sciences (M&B) and STEM research with 55% of research funding goes to M&B, 33% to STEM and 8.3% to research in the social sciences:
However, in terms of multidisciplinary research grants more funding may be dedicated to social scientists than these graphs suggest as the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA) data used in this report is collected against standardised cost centres i.e. a programme may be counted as medical or engineering but funds social science research.
So, what does the UK want for its research sector overall?
Whether this is tackling inequality, achieving better education outcomes, focussing on climate change and the environment, boosting regional growth, ensuring access to services, or addressing the social aspects of health, the vast majority of the key issues facing the government and wider society depend on excellence in social science research.
Indeed, of the research priorities recently published by the Government Office for Science, 75% of the areas of interest comprise largely of social science questions.
With the need for social science research being greater than ever, does the balance of research funding now need a re-think? Perhaps we need more challenge-focussed funding with a healthy social sciences component? And as the report says “some of these are best placed to be led by the social sciences” going forward…
Let us know your thoughts at comms@psa.ac.uk
Author Biography
Michelle Doyle Wildman is the Chief Executive of the Political Studies Association.