Research security checks are costing UK universities nearly £11 million a year, according to a study, which recommends the creation of an independent body to advise academics about risky research collaborations.
In a study on due diligence requirements, the Association of Research Managers and Administrators (Arma) found that one in five institutions was spending between £50,000 and £100,000 a year directly on checking whether potential research collaborations would fall foul of new government rules on research security and ethics, while 63 per cent spent up to £50,000 a year.
Based on a survey of research managers, “we can conservatively estimate that due diligence may be costing the sector between £9.5 million and £10.8 million per annum depending on the complexity of cases”, says the Arma study, published on 6 March.
About three-quarters of universities and 88 per cent of funders and sector bodies surveyed added that they “expect costs to increase slightly or significantly in the year ahead”, reports the study, which was based on a nine-month investigation funded by Research England.
