Response to the independent review of research bureaucracy call for evidence

04 October 2021

Our response to the independent review of research bureaucracy suggests ways the Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) could play a leading role in championing a risk-based, proportionate approach to research bureaucracy, encouraging funders and research organisations to take shared responsibility for reducing unnecessary bureaucracy.

For example, a mapping exercise could be conducted or comissioned to help understand the current bureaucracy, the purpose it serves and whether it is still necessary. We also recommend considering the impact of the change in the balance of funding between QR (and its equivalents in the devolved nations) and Research Council funding, and the way this has impacted on increasing administrative costs and on researchers applying for Council grants.

Other specific ideas for how bureaucracy could be reduced include:
• viewing universities as partners in research; working with and consulting research organisations before the introduction of new requirements or T&Cs
• working with the sector to establish common standards in compliance in order to reduce duplication
• more streamlined grants processes and improving digital platforms
• considering the merits and implications of longer funding periods
• reviewing the burgeoning landscape for trusted research regulation and VAT.

Download our full response below: