1/ Think BBC is biased? UK academic research funding (UKRI) is far more so.
% of UK's £9b research funding going to left scholar activism has exploded.
Findings from my NEW @HeterodoxCentre @UniOfBuckingham report based on big data analysis of @UKRI_News research grants
2/ On UKRI's web pages, mentions of 'equality' trump 'excellence', and the balance has been growing ever more skewed
3/ Social justice terminology has been soaring in UKRI awards as millions in grant research is diverted toward cultural left 'Social Justice' research
4/ Worse, the REF 2029 audit, which governs prestige rankings & doles out £2 billion to universities, will massively boost the importance of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) in the sector.
Why? Because excellence = 'epistemic injustice'! (h/t @ProfAliceS @timeshighered)
5/ University REF scores are shaped by cultural left kitemarking organisations @AdvanceHE & Athena SWAN. Universities compete for the highest 'gold' award from them. The joint UKRI/Advance HE report is heavy on gender and race, with no real interest in class
6/ UK trends echo those in the US and Canada
(h/t reports on NSF from @lokitekone & Canada Tri-Councils from Dave Snow at U. Guelph)
7/ At heart is a philosophical difference about what taxpayers should fund: cultural socialism (identity group equality within the elite) or cultural flourishing (research excellence)
UKRI is acting like people want cultural socialism.
They don't.
8/ I estimate £20 million is going to scholar activist research @ESRC & @ahrcpress each year. Far more including other councils & UKRI EDI spending.
Can the UK afford this? Should Tory & Reform voters fund their opponents' ideology?
Examples h/t @CharlotteCGill @WokeWaste
9/ Recommendations:
UKRI's budget be reduced by its EDI spend
EDI should be stripped out of the REF 2029 Environment score
Publication metrics, the least ideological measure of research excellence, should play a major role in REF 2029
UKRI must pivot from EDI to excellence
10/ If UKRI thinks it can just do business as usual and ignore the right, it could face a nasty surprise if Reform is elected. Falling conservative trust could bring an axe down on research funding - a shame as much of it adds intellectually & economically to Britain
11/ Read the report here:
heterodoxcentre.com/research/chss-…
12/ Some key links mentioned. Check them out:
DEI in US NSF grants: cspicenter.com/p/increasing-p…
EDI in Canada tri-council grants: macdonaldlaurier.ca/promoting-exce…
Examples of scholar activism in the UK: substack.com/@CharlotteCGill
Pushback from sane UK academics: timeshighereducation.com/opinion/refs-p…
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