So... we have a new Lib Dem - Conservative coalition to steer us through the next 5 years. I know already the Lib Dem manifesto commitments to funding research. But because this was not one of their priority areas, it's likely that Conservative policy will dictate on this issue. Does anyone know what their policies are on things like impact, REF, grant funding etc.?

Hi Melsie

Not sure what conservative policy is on research funding etc, although if they are anything like previous tory governments, it means less public spending and therefore funding, plus encouragement of private, probably industry based research. If you think about it funding for the research councils is one of the easiest cuts to make, especially as the benefits probably won't be realised for years, by which time a new goverment is likely to be in place.

Think i might go for a peek in the tory manifesto.

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I think regardless of what they say in their manifesto (after all, governments don't always apply what they initially state in their manifestos once they have been elected into office) it'll be a case of "playing it by ear". Labour decided to make huge cuts to research funding despite the fact that this was not in their manifesto - whenever there's an economic crash, certain non-economically viable research areas are the first to get the brunt of it; same thing happened 20 years ago. Their priority is the economy, they want quick recovery so they'll cut out whatever the majority of voters would consider of secondary importance to everyday life. Hence their methodology has been clearly stated as "cutting public funds with the exception of front line public services"; so Police, armed forces,  etc. won't see cuts, but other areas will. It's all a little vague because it depends on what the current government will consider "front line public service" For example, we don't know whether social services, and social care will be effected by the cuts or not.

Whatever their manifesto and whatever their aims, in the end, the economic state of the international market and the UK is so volatile that even the government themselves understand that they are shooting in the dark to some extent. If Greece falls despite European funding, and this created the much feared domino-effect with Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Ireland to follow, then UK would be (as some economist say) next in line. Then we can be sure that one of the FIRST places they will cut funds is ALL across research - for now they'll cut funds from research - that's for sure - but perhaps not as drastically (and especially not in economic "impact" generating disciplines e.g. engineering, sciences, finance, economy, etc.) as it would be if the market and the pound continue to fall.

I know this might not directly answer your question, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that no one really knows the answers - not even Cameron - because the market has a life of it's own! But we can know that there will surely be cuts made to funding - how much, and how drastic, we just don't know. It doesn't matter which government would have come into office, in the end, they would have had to do the same: save the country from going bankrupt by cutting back on what's not essential in the short-term.

Unemployment is on the rise (announced at 2.51 million unemployed last week), university applications have multiplied by 50% because there are no jobs, so people want to go to uni; all the while cuts are being made in research funing. It's going to be an academically competitive few year that lie ahead of us where only the best-of-the best (and the very lucky ones) get funding.

Sorry for the bleak outlook. I really hope that I turn out to be wrong on this one. Let's keep our fingers crossed to that!