Interim report on UK research bureaucracy provides a taste of what’s to come

Cutting the red tape involved in UK research is going to require cultural change and new principles, according to Adam Tickell, vice-chancellor of the University of Birmingham, who is leading a review into research bureaucracy. However, detailed recommendations won’t come out until later this year when the review reports in full.

Tickell’s interim report reflects evidence from over 250 sources including funders, policymakers, institutional leaders, individual researchers and research teams. It finds that ‘applying for funding’ is considered to be the main source of unnecessary bureaucracy, closely followed by ‘institutional bureaucracy’, and ‘reporting and monitoring’. Generally, the report finds a ‘clear perception’ that the bureaucratic burden has increased over time. This is partly because, as priorities change, new requirements get added, but very few are removed.