§ Mr. MillerTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what was(a) the total amount of funding allocated by the Government to each of the research councils, indicating what proportion of that funding was allocated in respect of indirect costs, (b) the total amount of funding awarded by each of the research councils in respect of indirect costs for research projects supported by the councils and (c) the total number of research projects supported by the research councils in each of the financial years from 1990–91 to 1994–95; how many applications for funding to the research councils claimed for indirect costs and how many of these were supported; into what specific categories funding awarded for projects by each research council was divided; and how much was allocated to each category. [18807]
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThe information is not all available in the form requested.
(a)
Announced Allocations to the Research Councils 1990–91 to 1994–95 £ million 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 AFRC 86.6 93.5 107.3 110.4 BBSRC1 171.8 ESRC 36.2 35.5 45.1 53.9 ESRC 58.9 MRC 185.7 200.4 227.6 256.9 MRC 269.2 NERC 136 122.6 129.7 141.0 NERC 155.4 SERC 437.1 451.3 520.8 587.0 EPSRC 364.0 PPARC 184.9 1 The new research council system was set up from 1 April 1994. From 1 August 1992, there was a shift in the dual support boundary which involved the redefinition of responsibilities-and the transfer of appropriate funding to the research councils-for meeting costs associated with research projects. The above figures therefore include the funds transferred to the research councils. This transfer of funds is known as the dual support transfer.
Research councils are now responsible for funding all the direct costs-other than the costs of permanent academic staff-associated with the projects that they 48W fund and a contribution to the indirect costs or overheads. The institution receiving the research council grant is still responsible for meeting the costs of the maintenance of premises, the permanent academic staff, and central computing costs.
The new funding arrangements applied in full to new grants beginning on or after 1 August 1992. Grants that started before that date were subject to transitional arrangements: no additional direct costs were payable on these grants, but indirect costs were paid as for new grants.
No funding is specifically allocated to the research councils in respect of indirect costs.
(b) The total amount of funding awarded by each of the research councils in respect of indirect costs for research projects from 1990–91 to 1994–95. Research councils contribute to indirect costs through a standard percentage addition-40 per cent-to any direct staff costs. All awards to higher education institutions with staff costs will therefore automatically be awarded indirect costs.
(c) The total number of research projects in higher education institutions supported by the research councils from 1990–91 to 1994–95.
The information available gives the number of new awards in each academic year.
1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 BBSRC 362 438 576 446 578 EPSRC 1,316 1,801 2,278 2,078 1,300 ESRC 366 356 357 438 416 MRC 453 504 492 473 393 NERC 165 211 208 155 151 PPARC 266 284 251 259 346 The funding awarded by each research council in various categories is as follows, in academic years unless otherwise stated:
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council-BBSRC
For 1990–91 to 1993–94, BBSRC data are compiled from Agricultural and Food Research Council-AFRC-data on responsive-mode awards and on all SERC award data relevant to the BBSRC portfolio. The AFRC and SERC data are therefore shown separately; the 1994–95 data are for BBSRC responsive-mode awards.
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AFRC £ thousand 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 BBSRC 1994–95 Staff costs 7,860 11,020 11,250 13,500 - 27,100 Travel and subsistence 280 210 240 400 - 700 Consumables 2,760 3,670 3,975 5,100 - 9,700 Exceptional items - 10 50 100 - 0 Equipment 870 1,220 2,080 2,400 - 3,800 Indirect costs - 1,810 4,470 5,400 - 10,800
SERC data on all awards relevant to BBSRC portfolio for 1990–91 to 1993–94 £ thousand 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 Staff costs 15,910 13,560 26,370 7,920 Travel and subsistence 420 375 800 220 Consumables 4,300 5,050 9,310 2,900 Exceptional items - 40 1,470 36 Equipment 4,140 3,150 8,770 2,020 Indirect costs - 2,710 10,550 3,170
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council-EPSRC £ thousand 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 Staff costs 63,700 102,000 130,000 131,800 76,100 Travel and subsistence 3,900 6,200 6,900 9,100 5,100 Consumables 11,800 21,500 26,100 29,300 14,200 Exceptional items - 400 1,700 1,300 800 Equipment 23,500 33,100 41,000 40,600 27,000 Indirect costs - 19,100 52,000 52,700 30,400
Economic and Social Research Council-ESRC £ thousand 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 Staff costs 11,013 11,556 12,100 16,367 19,690 Travel and subsistence 1,469 1,932 1,602 1,893 2,359 Consumables 1,212 1,225 571 952 1,316 Exceptional items 17 128 1,765 2,242 2,466 Equipment 195 191 273 477 689 Indirect costs - - 4,734 6,420 7,644
The information available relates to financial years and is the actual expenditure on each category for the year Medical Resear Council-MRC £ thousand 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 Staff costs 34,692 40,815 41,101 48,150 46,309 Travel and subsistence1 405 Consumables 12,031 13,709 14,260 17,395 20,160 Exceptional items1 - - - - 11 Equipment 7,452 5,297 4,979 6,641 9,272 Indirect costs - - 5,559 17,486 18,072 1 Recorded in accounts as consumables until 1994–95.
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Natural Environment Research Council -NERC thousand 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 Staff costs 7,337 10,874 10,626 8,309 8,707 Travel and subsistence 866 1,152 957 654 881 Consumables 1,602 1,930 2,009 2,083 1,993 Exceptional items - 119 248 100 195 Equipment 896 2,254 1,920 1,854 1,939 Indirect costs - 1,557 3,660 3,307 3,258
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council-PPARC £ thousand 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 Staff costs 8,862 34,952 21,718 47,795 21,440 Travel and subsistence 3,156 2,068 3,733 3,058 1,359 Consumables 1,336 3,589 3,346 3,838 4,514 Exceptional items - 54 872 437 668 Equipment 3,255 3,767 4,656 11,044 1,360 Indirect costs - 8,884 8,646 19,118 8,576