The government is introducing new rules that will severely restrict the academic freedom of university researchers and prohibit them from advising ministers and influencing policies.
The “anti-lobbying” regulations, which were announced on the government’s website on Saturday 6 February, do not explicitly refer to universities, and have so far not attracted attention despite their far-reaching implications.
As currently drafted, these drastic measures will apply to financial support for tens of thousands of academic researchers through the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the research councils.
Guidance that has been distributed to every government department will rule out any new or renewed grants awarded from May being used to “support activity intended to influence or attempt to influence parliament, government or political parties, or attempting to influence the awarding or renewal of contracts and grants, or attempting to influence legislative or regulatory action”.
It could stop scientists from, for instance, responding to government consultations and parliamentary inquiries, or calling on regulators to allow new areas of research.
The donation of mitochondria to help tackle some inheritable diseases became possible for the first time last year following a long campaign by researchers who had helped to develop the ground-breaking treatment.
But similar efforts in the future could be hampered by the draconian new measures that have been devised by the Cabinet Office, apparently without consultation with universities or researchers.
When I contacted HEFCE for clarification about how higher education institutions will be affected, a spokesperson could only offer me the following statement: “We are aware of this government announcement and are awaiting further guidance from BIS [the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills]”.
The response from a BIS spokesperson also did not offer any reassurance: “The government is taking steps through this clause to ensure taxpayer funds are not misused. Guidance published by the Cabinet Office outlines how departments are able to make qualifications to the clause, and we are working with stakeholders to determine how this might apply to the research base. At the Spending Review the government committed to protecting the science budget in real terms throughout this parliament, meaning a decade of protection for science under this government.”
It is not clear whether the Cabinet Office intended to catch universities in the sweeping new prohibitions. Its announcement referred only to campaign groups. I understand that Research Councils UK, the umbrella body for the seven research councils, is privately calling for universities to be exempted from the regulations.
Universities have been under increasing pressure to demonstrate the wider societal and economic impact of their research. In his independent review of the UK research councils published last November, Sir Paul Nurse, then president of the Royal Society, highlighted that “it is crucial to get the mechanisms right that result in a good relationship between politicians across government and expert researchers, to ensure that the best decisions are made”.
It is particularly ironic that the government’s announcement appears to be a response, at least in part, to a campaign by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).
The website of the IEA currently boasts of its success in lobbying the Government to impose the strict new regulations on the use of grants, and declares that “it’s pleasing to see the government acting on one of our recommendations”.
The IEA describes itself as “an educational charity and independent research institute” and “the UK’s original free-market think-tank” with a mission to “improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems”. It says that it does not accept money from government so it would not feel the impact of the proposed restrictions.
The IEA is ideologically opposed to many areas of government intervention. It is secretive about its sources of funding and has been criticised for not openly disclosing financial support from tobacco and alcohol companies when it campaigning against limits on smoking and drinking.
It is these sorts of vested commercial and ideological interests that university researchers often have to counteract when they advise government on public policy issues.
But the new rules will hamper scientists who want to promote the public interest in policy-making, and hence make it easier for lobbyists, companies and privately-funded campaign groups to sway government decisions towards their agendas. These restrictions will be bad for policy-making, bad for the public interest and bad for democracy.
It is vital that universities and researchers make their voices heard now about this attack on academic freedom. Otherwise, they could soon find themselves muzzled on all government policies.
Bob Ward is policy and communications director at the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
