Statement by EPSRC on demand-management of research is a step in the right direction, says RSC

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is pleased that the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has today, on its website, made some movement towards changing its initial approach to the issue of demand-management of submissions for funding. 

President of the RSC, Professor Dave Garner, said this morning: "We welcome the EPSRC decision to address some of the concerns voiced recently by the chemical science community, but I do urge the research council to go further and remove its ban on resubmission of research proposals."

He said that the RSC is concerned about EPSRC's introduction of peer-review demand-management of applications for research funding and that he has encouraged them to discuss this issue with the RSC and the research community.

Professor Garner added: "We consider that one aspect of today's revised policy statement from the EPSRC to be particularly sensible: EPSRC is right to defer until 2010 proposed changes to its policy of excluding unsuccessful applicants from the grants submission process.

"However, the RSC is very disappointed that the policy on resubmission of applications remains unchanged and urges the EPSRC to think again on this matter.