EVALUATING THE FUNDING OF STRATEGIC SCIENCE - SOME LESSONS FROM BRITISH-EXPERIENCE

Considerable emphasis is currently being placed on funding strategic research in universities. This paper presents the background to the development of this policy and then discusses the response of the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC). In particular it focuses on the SERC's Directorate programmes for fostering strategic research, and assesses some outcomes from this approach. An evaluation of the Biotechnology Directorate provides the main basis for the paper, but evaluations of other Directorates are also drawn on. The two central questions discussed are the success of Directorates at building up the science base and their effectiveness at promoting technology transfer to industry. The paper concludes that Directorate programmes have achieved a great measure of success in meeting these objectives, but in so doing has raised further questions, including how large a proportion of funds should be allocated to strategic as opposed to "blue sky" research. © 1991.