Recommendation(s): 35

Recommendation 35: We recommend to the Government that it should establish, as soon as possible, a high level independent body to advise the Government on the direction of national policies for the public funding of research in higher education, on the distribution and level of such funding, and on the performance of the public bodies responsible for distributing it.

5.11 The Government is not convinced of the need to establish a new independent advisory body to advise on the direction of national policy on public funding of research in higher education. The Council for Science and Technology and the Science and Engineering Base Co-ordinating Committee already exist to give advice and co-ordinate policy on public funding of research. The Government wishes to consider further how the working of these bodies might be developed before either adding to their responsibilities or setting up yet another body. Indeed, in publishing on 4 December 1997 the advice from the Council for Science and Technology on research issues arising from the Dearing Committee’s report, the President of the Board of Trade announced that she was considering how to revitalise the Council for Science and Technology as a source of advice on science and technology issues.

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