Universities should compensate for the shortfall in government funding by aggressively bidding for US research dollars, higher education minister David Lammy has said.
Leading UK universities have warned that the cuts in public funding could mean they fall behind their US rivals. But Lammy argues that the huge financial stimulus for US research announced by President Obama could provide an opportunity for institutions in the UK.
“British universities can lament the fact that we can’t afford a cash injection that scale,” he said, “or they can, as I’ve repeatedly urged, try to get a piece of the action.”
His comments echo a broader theme being followed by ministers over the last few months, that UK universities can use their international reputation to find money from overseas sources.
Wendy Piatt, director-general of the Russell Group of leading research universities, however, told the Financial Times that the idea was unworkable.
"As might be expected, much of the money provided by the Obama stimulus package for US research is specifically earmarked for use in US institutions and is not available for collaborative projects," she said.