Nurse Research Councils Review

The following guidelines and principles should be adopted to promote a successful UK research endeavour:
i. Research into the natural sciences, technologies, medicine, the social sciences, the arts and humanities produces knowledge that enhances our culture and civilisation and contributes to the public good, for example through driving a sustainable economy, improving health and the quality of life, and protecting the environment.
ii. As such, research should be at the heart of Government with an effective dialogue and understanding between researchers, politicians and the public, so that policies and strategies are in place to bring about research that benefits society.
iii. Policies need to be in place to bring about high quality, cost-effective research carried out to the highest standards, and to ensure that the knowledge produced benefits society and is supported by society, recognising the differences and similarities between discovery, translational and applied research.
iv. The research endeavour has to be permeable and fluid, allowing the ready transfer of ideas, skills and people in all directions between sectors, research disciplines, the span of the research endeavour, and its potential beneficiaries. The endeavour thrives on excellent scientists, who are often motivated by their curiosity and have the freedom to pursue their intellectual interests.
v. In making research funding decisions account has to be taken of the researcher(s) undertaking the research; the research programme; and the circumstances of the place where the research is to be pursued. High quality peer review plays a central role in this process. The ability of a research endeavour to come to good decisions about what to research, and who should undertake it, is an integral part of the scientific process.
vi. Diversity should be protected in researchers, approaches and locations – recognising that novel approaches and solutions to problems sometimes emerge more readily outside the mainstream. The best research should be funded wherever it is found.
vii. Funders should recognise that delivering the highest quality research is difficult, requiring patience, persistence and long-term investment.
viii. Research funding decisions should be made by those best placed to judge the research: Discovery and translational research is usually driven by the scientists themselves close to the research, assessed by high quality peer review operating at an international level, including appropriate expert scientists and experienced scientific generalists; and in the case of translational and applied research an additional awareness of the potential use of the science. Applied research needs a more directed approach and knowledge of relevant customer and market needs. Assessments of more multi-disciplinary proposals require a wider range of reviewer expertise, as well as individuals with experience of working in these more complex projects. Societal impact plays a role in assessment but should be proportionate in use. For example, with discovery research it is not usually appropriate for a fixed proportion of grant assessment to be applied for societal impact. There also is a need for better consideration of highly significant scholarly impact, which can lead to paradigm shifts in understanding. Society and its elected representatives should be engaged in the high level questions about the overall direction of science and research, such as the top level allocation of resources, or in respect of needs that society might like to see addressed by research.

Research Councils should be focused on providing high quality strategic leadership to their research communities. Engagement with these communities should be prioritised, with the grant decision making process viewed as an integral part of the scientific process, and the Research Councils should work with the sector to determine collectively the most effective approaches to funding research.

Research Councils should collectively take ownership of mapping the UK research landscape to produce a consolidated picture of capability across Research Councils, Innovate UK, HEFCE, Government Departments, local authorities, other public agencies and industry and how to access research funding support. They should take responsibility for making these data widely available. This understanding will support high-level strategic discussions including analysis of strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the UK research portfolio.
This could be based on an extension of the Science and Innovation Audit.

Research Councils should individually and collectively address the following issues, aimed at enhancing working relationships with their research communities:
Delivering consistently high quality international level peer review, sharing and promulgating best practice;
Reviewing of inter-disciplinary research proposals should be improved by using reviewers experienced in judging this type of research;
Assembling appropriate peer review panels with greater consistency in the operation of subsequent grant award panels;
Speeding up the grants assessment process;
Improving outcome reporting systems, transparency and feedback;
Ensuring diversity in funding options; and
Strengthening links with the research community.

Collaborative working with business and Innovate UK to simplify the customer interface of the research and innovation funding landscape can be strengthened through:
Greater engagement of business;
Simplification of schemes and processes;
Improved handling of multi- and inter-disciplinary research, and improved selection of peer reviewers with business awareness for applications involving industry;
More strategic investment in the skills needed by business;
More rapid decision making; and
Greater engagement with Innovate UK in collaborative Research Council programmes with business.

Collaborative working with Government Departments should be strengthened through:
A more systematic expression of Government's own research needs and mechanisms for engagement between Councils and Government departments;
Implementing best practice in co-ordination mechanisms in those areas where Research Councils can help Government address its own research needs; and
Greater awareness of the research and capability within Public Sector Research Establishments, including through piloting new approaches to funding excellent research within them in collaboration with the University sector.

Research Councils should provide leadership and influence in Europe and across the world to influence European and other international research priorities, which in turn play their part in shaping the UK research endeavour.

To strengthen Research Councils in the effective formulation of strategy, promotion of research, and engagement with their communities, the partnership of the seven Councils making up RCUK should evolve into Research UK. This would support the seven Councils collectively, would speak with a strengthened voice to Government, take responsibility for cross-Council strategy, and simplify transactional operations, reducing the administrative burden on the Councils.

Research UK should be headed by a highly distinguished scientist acting as the single Accounting Officer, reporting to a single oversight Board consisting of an independent Chair; and non-executive directors including the highest quality scientific leaders familiar with the academic, philanthropic and business research communities. There also needs to be connections with and representation from Government Departments, HEFCE, and Innovate UK, better linking the various strands of government funded research. Research UK would have accountability for:
Establishment of best practice in research funding, implementing harmonisation when appropriate, whilst respecting diversity when necessary.
Development and maintenance of research data management systems.
Managing cross-cutting funds for: Multi- and inter-disciplinary research; Research addressing societal needs and emergencies spanning the different Research Councils; and Promoting agility in response to new developments in science and when necessary reallocation of budget between Research Council portfolios.
Formulation of overall research strategy for the UK.
Providing leadership on the conduct of research, research ethics and engagement with the public over science.

That Government should develop new cross-Government arrangements to enable the discussion of strategic research priorities and funding of research, to provide a place for engagement between policymakers and research funders, and to put science at the heart of Government. It is recommended that a Ministerial Committee is established to perform these roles, although a reconfigured CST could possibly provide an alternative approach.