British Academy contributes to Nurse Review of the Research Councils

The British Academy welcomes the opportunity to submit evidence to the Nurse Review of the Research Councils. Led by Sir Paul Nurse, the review seeks to explore how research councils can support research most effectively.

In summary, the British Academy says:

1. We strongly support the current structure of dual support for UK research funding. This allows for a common funding ‘ladder’ of grants, of which all parts are an essential component, each enabling and complementing the other.


2. Capacity should be maintained for both investigator-led and strategically-led research.


3. As per our submission to the triennial review of the Research Councils, we support the current structure of the Research Councils.


4. Indeed, based on the size of the research community in the humanities and social sciences, the quality of the output, and the significance of the challenges we face as a society, there is a strong case for re-examining the low proportion of research council funding currently allocated to the AHRC and the ESRC. 


5. Enhanced collaboration between the research councils could be achieved through a more prominent role for RCUK.

You can read the full evidence submitted to Nurse Review of Research Councils here.