Balancing capability strategy brings better news for chemistry

The EPSRC has released its projections for which research areas will grow and which will reduce after a ‘longer, more systematic’ consultation.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has announced the outcome of its balancing capability project, which determines how funding will be shared among the research areas in its portfolio.

The outcomes are the result of an 18-month consultation and evidence-gathering process, involving hundreds of senior researchers from industry and academia.

Of the 111 research areas included in the EPSRC’s portfolio, the vast majority have been given a ‘maintain’ trajectory – meaning the proportion of funds they get is expected to stay the same over the next five years. This includes many of the chemical sciences including synthetic, computational, theoretical and analytical chemistry.

In addition, 12 areas are expected to ‘grow’ – including chemical biology and biological chemistry, along with energy storage and materials for energy applications.

Nine ‘reduce’ areas will see a smaller share, one of which is chemical structure. The rationale provided by EPSRC says it has been given this designation as a result of plans to get rid of the category and integrate the science it covers into other areas, such as analytical chemistry – which encompasses techniques such as spectroscopy – and areas that cover the applications of structure research such as catalysis, materials or computational and theoretical chemistry.

‘It’s a rebadging – putting a slightly more precise definition of what the area really encompasses, rather than taking money away from chemical structure,’ says Neil Alford, Imperial College London, who was chair of the EPSRCs strategic advisory team during the discussions and debating of the research areas for Balancing Capability. He adds that there were a number of chemists on the strategic advisory team who were ‘perfectly happy’ with the approach.

Read full article at: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/balancing-capability-strategy-brings-better-news-for-chemistry-/2500414.article

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