A modest revolt

By Andrew Chitty

In a letter to the THE on 12th February twenty leading UK scientists, including Nobel prize winner Harry Kroto, responded to the stipulation that applications to Research Councils for grants must now include a two-page 'impact report' (obviously a code for 'economic impact report') by proposing that reviewers for grant applications simply decline to take these reports into consideration. Here are two news reports on this letter:

Scientists call for a revolt against grant rule they claim will end blue-skies research, Times Higher Education, 12 February 2009

Leading UK scientists call for revolt against grant rules, The Great Beyond, February 12, 2009