Haldane principle
Encyclopedia
In British research policy, the Haldane principle is the idea that decisions about what to spend research funds on should be made by researchers rather than politicians. It is named after Richard Burdon Haldane, who in 1904 and from 1909 to 1918 chaired committees and commissions which recommended this policy.
The 1904 committee recommended the creation of the University Grants Committee
which has evolved via the Universities Funding Council
into the current higher education funding councils Higher Education Funding Council for England
, Scottish Funding Council
and Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
.
In 1918 Haldane's committee produced the 'Haldane Report'. The report suggested that research required by government departments could be separated into that required by specific departments and that which was more general. It recommended that departments should oversee the specific research but the general research should be under the control of autonomous Research Council
s, which would be free from political and administrative pressures that might discourage research in certain areas. The principle of the autonomy of the research councils is now referred to as the Haldane Principle. The first research council to be created as a result of the Haldane Report was the Medical Research Council
.
The principle has remained enshrined in British Government policy, but has been criticised and altered over the years. In 1939 J.D. Bernal argued that social good was more important than researchers' freedom in deciding the direction of research. Solly Zuckerman
criticised it in 1971 for its artificial separation of basic and applied science, and the consequent elevation of the status of the former.
A major revision to the application of the Haldane Principle in British research funding came in the early 1970s with the Rothschild Report of 1971, and its implementation which transferred about 25% of the then Research Council funds, and the decisions on the research to be funded with them, back to government departments.
There is currently a debate about the extent to which the principle is still applied in practice.
(Note that this principle is unrelated to Haldane's rule
, the zoological principle named after J. B. S. Haldane
.)
The 1904 committee recommended the creation of the University Grants Committee
University Grants Committee (UK)
The University Grants Committee was an advisory committee of the British government, which advised on the distribution of grant funding amongst the British universities. It was in existence from 1919 until 1989...
which has evolved via the Universities Funding Council
Universities Funding Council
The Universities Funding Council was a UK body established under the Education Reform Act 1988 replacing the University Grants Committee. It distributed funds provided by central government to universities for the provision of education and the undertaking of research...
into the current higher education funding councils Higher Education Funding Council for England
Higher Education Funding Council for England
The Higher Education Funding Council for England is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in the United Kingdom, which has been responsible for the distribution of funding to Universities and Colleges of Higher and Further Education in England since...
, Scottish Funding Council
Scottish Funding Council
The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council, more commonly known as the Scottish Funding Council , is the body in Scotland that distributes funding from the Scottish Government to the country's colleges and universities...
and Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales is an Assembly Government Sponsored Body, and anintermediary body between the Welsh Assembly Government and the higher education sector in Wales.- HEFCW business :...
.
In 1918 Haldane's committee produced the 'Haldane Report'. The report suggested that research required by government departments could be separated into that required by specific departments and that which was more general. It recommended that departments should oversee the specific research but the general research should be under the control of autonomous Research Council
Research Council
The UK Research Councils, of which there are currently seven, are publicly-funded agencies responsible for co-ordinating and funding particular areas of research, including the arts, humanities, all areas of science and engineering...
s, which would be free from political and administrative pressures that might discourage research in certain areas. The principle of the autonomy of the research councils is now referred to as the Haldane Principle. The first research council to be created as a result of the Haldane Report was the Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
.
The principle has remained enshrined in British Government policy, but has been criticised and altered over the years. In 1939 J.D. Bernal argued that social good was more important than researchers' freedom in deciding the direction of research. Solly Zuckerman
Solly Zuckerman
Solly Zuckerman, Baron Zuckerman, OM, KCB, FRS was a British public servant, zoologist, and scientific advisor who is best remembered as an advisor to the Allies on bombing strategy in World War II, for his work to advance the cause of nuclear non-proliferation, and for his role in bringing...
criticised it in 1971 for its artificial separation of basic and applied science, and the consequent elevation of the status of the former.
A major revision to the application of the Haldane Principle in British research funding came in the early 1970s with the Rothschild Report of 1971, and its implementation which transferred about 25% of the then Research Council funds, and the decisions on the research to be funded with them, back to government departments.
There is currently a debate about the extent to which the principle is still applied in practice.
(Note that this principle is unrelated to Haldane's rule
Haldane's rule
Haldane's rule or Haldane's law was formulated in 1922 by the British evolutionary biologist J.B.S. Haldane. It describes hybrid sterility in species and is extended to describe speciation in evolutionary theory, in two parts: the rule of hybrid sterility and the rule of hybrid inviability...
, the zoological principle named after J. B. S. Haldane
J. B. S. Haldane
John Burdon Sanderson Haldane FRS , known as Jack , was a British-born geneticist and evolutionary biologist. A staunch Marxist, he was critical of Britain's role in the Suez Crisis, and chose to leave Oxford and moved to India and became an Indian citizen...
.)
See also
- Gummett, P. (1980) Scientists in Whitehall. Manchester: Manchester University Press.