1. Research Pooling Initiatives Research Assessment Exercise Scottish Science Advisory Panel Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 May 2007 Professor David Gani FRSC FRSE Director of Research Policy and Strategy

2. A Challenging R & D and KT context Increasingly globally competitive Majority of research funders outwith Scotland UK private investment in Scotland (and UK) declining Overseas investment in UK increasing UK countries’ research policies increasingly diverse Increasing emphasis on “added value” activities Established OECD competitors larger; new ones fiercely driven and “hungry”.

3. High Level Policy Issues Increasing value of UK research base – international competitiveness – effective utilisation of outputs Sustaining research evolution – financial stability – responsive and flexible research base – autonomous, market informed HEIs

4. Data and Facts 2005-06 People Research Active Academic Staff5086 (12.1% of UK) Research Fellows/Assistants3948 Research Students (MRes, PhD)7871 (10.6% of UK) at 30 sites in over 300 departments/units Income Research Income£263.4M Research Contracts and KT Income£289.9M SFC and OSI Research and KT Grants (2005) £237.0M _______ Total£790.3M

5. Scottish Devolved Government Advantages of “local” policies Advantages of UK influence Balance between Scottish and UK stance Challenges of behaving as a coherent UK system

6. %

7. RAE 2008 and the future RAE 2008 – on schedule Early indications of volume HEFCE letter to English HEIs Timetable for developing metrics published Well-connected UK-wide interactions Early findings available late Summer 2007

8. Research Landscape SABRIs and HEI interactions ETI EIT ERC Concordat on Contract Research Careers Research Council Institutes and FEC

9. Knowledge Transfer and Direction of Change KTG evaluation Strategic Priority Investments in Research and Innovation Translation (SPIRIT) KT in Colleges Developing KT for Cultural Engagement and Public Policy Greater reward for existing KT activity Research Councils’ KT agendas and “Pools” Masters/PhD degrees in Enterprise and Innovation?

10. Internationalisaton ORSAS Marketing Scottish HEIs Commercial advantages of “Pools” Attracting international grants/investments Retaining international graduates.

11. “Research Pooling” SUPA (Physics) Scotchem (Chemistry) ERP (Engineering and Mathematical Science) SAGES (Geo- and Environmental Science) SIRE (Economics) SRP (General and Civil Engineering) SULSA (Biological and Life Science) Phase 1 SINAPSE (Brain Imaging) * MSS (Marine Sciences Scotland)

12. SRDG SULSA and SINAPSE supported SICSA progressing MSS progressing Announcing SRDG 2006 competition results Next periodic SRDG competition awaiting the SR2007 outcome Spending review outcome expected Nov. 2007 Planning meeting for “pooling” reflections

13. Expectations from Investment Attracting the best researchers Attracting greater project support both for basic and applied research Enhanced outputs in R & KT Advocacy in other developments

14. Sept. 2006

15. September 2006

16. February 2007