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Next year, Britain’s biggest research council will probably have to
cut grants to scientists for the second year running, despite the increase
in the science budget announced last week by the government.

‘My guess is there will not be enough money to restore the grants budget,’
says Mark Richmond, chairman of the Science and Engineering Research Council.
Last year the SERC had to cut the number of new grants in half and was forced
to announce the closure of the Nuclear Structure Facility (NSF) at Daresbury,
Cheshire, after cuts in its budget.

The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement revealed the shape of the government’s
£3 billion civil research programme for the next three years. After
allowing for inflation and one-off savings, next year’s science budget –
the money allocated to the research councils – will be £1050 million.
This represents a 2.2 per cent increase on this year’s figure.

Money for research that is channelled through universities will also
increase, to about £900 million. But research funds distributed by
government departments will fall to something over £1000 million.

The research councils are pleased about a change in the Treasury’s method
for calculating future research funds. In the past, it predicted continually
falling budgets (see Diagram), which were revised upwards during annual
negotiations over government spending. But, this year, the Treasury has
come up with future budgets which rise in real terms.

The change means the councils can count on spending an extra £85
million between them in 1994/95. Howard Newby, chairman of the Economic
and Social Research Council, says the change will give councils greater
security in their planning.

But, despite the increase, Richmond expects that when the budget is
divided, the SERC’s share will not be enough to restore grants or offer
hope to the NSF. ‘It is just about level funding,’ Richmond says. ‘There
is nothing in this allocation that would relieve last year’s pressure.’

Chris Butler, the MP whose constituency includes the NSF, has tabled
a question to Kenneth Clarke, the education secretary, asking if he will
grant a reprieve to the facility. Clarke, however, has already said he would
be ‘very surprised’ if the SERC applied to keep the NSF open.

The lobby group Save British Science says government funding of research
is continuing its downward slide. Next year, scientists will need £20
million more than has been announced, just to keep funding up to last year’s
levels, says the group.

Research councils will now apply to the Advisory Board for the Research
Councils to fund new programmes, many of which were scaled down or stopped
by last year’s budget.

The Medical Research Council hopes to fund research into the clinical
application of information from the human genome project in areas such as
rheumatology and medicine. It also wants to expand research on disorders
such as Alzheimer’s disease in its neurobiology programme.

The Natural Environment Research Council is considering a British study
of ocean ridges. Bathymetric instruments for measuring depth are also needed
for the James Clark Ross, a research ship that was completed last year.

The Economic and Social Research Council’s top priority is increasing
grants. The Agriculture and Food Research Council wants to expand its work
on biological responses to climate change.