A Comparison of Research Costing and Funding Systems in the UK and China – the Role of Full Economic Costs.

This pioneering project provides an opportunity to establish effective working-level relations between the UK and China on an issue of high strategic importance; research funding reform. 

The project is led by the China Academy of Sciences (CAS), www.cas.cn, a major research agency in the Chinese innovation system, but also involves the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Finance (MOF) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC).

By sharing information on the Chinese research funding allocation system and the UK’s experience of implementing the Full Economic Costs (FEC) system, the project’s purpose is to help China partners develop their thinking on managing research reform and UK partners to better understand the China research funding system.  The UK invests significantly in bilateral research partnerships with China. This will be of great benefit to aid the design of bilateral co-operation programmes in the future.

For more information regarding FEC follow the link to the latest review by Research Councils UK (RCUK)/Universities UK (UUK) from April 2009: http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/review/fec/default.htm

The project seeks to increase mutual awareness of how the real costs for UK and Chinese research projects are calculated, funded, and monitored with the eventual aim of leading to a more transparent and sustainable system.  This will be achieved through a series of workshops and technical exchanges held in both the UK and China, bringing together teams of top experts from both countries which will develop a deeper understanding between UK and China’s respective research funding systems and therefore aid in future co-operation. It also serves to improve communication and collaboration between UK and China at both the academic and governmental levels on further common issues, such as management of innovation, the Science of Science Policy (SoSP), and the establishment of sustainable virtual network between British and Chinese experts in these fields.

This is a key development in the facilitation of the future management of joint research projects between the two countries, and will aid China’s future efforts to ensure financial, physical and human sustainability.

China Team Leader    
Prof. Li Xiaoxuan, Director, CASERC
Dr. Li Xiaoxuan is a professor at Institute of Policy & Management (IPM), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He is also director of Innovation Management and Research Evaluation Centre, CAS.

UK Team Leader    
Gerry Lawson
Gerry Lawson leads the RCUK/UUK review of the implementation of Full Economic Costing in the UK.  He has previously co-ordinated operational management for RCUK and leads on Research Information Systems for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

The project, beginning in April 2009 is not due to end until September 2010 with a series of workshops and events planned throughout the period. If you’d like to find out more about this project or how to get involved, please contact Katy Fu at katy.fu@fco.gov.uk