Scottish universities must not be cut off from access to UK research funds if they are to keep their leading edge, according to the country�s top academic association.
Scottish universities must not be cut off from access to UK research funds if they are to keep their leading edge, according to the country's top academic association.
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) has warned the Calman Commission - which is considering new powers for Holyrood and which yesterday met and began a series of public meetings - that it would be a "seriously retrograde step" if the funding councils are separated at the border. The same warning would apply to the SNP Government's plans for independence.
Scottish universities gain a substantially higher share of UK research funding than the country's population share, particularly in medical science.
The RSE, which styles itself Scotland's national academy, has warned Scottish universities need access to major funding if they are to retain the scale they need to do world-class work.
Citing major research institutes based in Scotland, it concluded: "Most of this research is well-integrated into the broader UK research base, which is widely regarded as being the best structured, most productive and cost-effective in Europe, and globally second only to that of the USA in its scope and impact.
"Integration offsets one of the problems of small countries in research, that they cannot be internationally competitive in all sectors of research and in the businesses that rely on it."
The RSE says opportunities are already being lost because of a split at the border, in research grants on social policy and innovation, where Scottish academics are as well qualified as English rivals to take on the work.
A submission to the Commission from Professor Michael Keating, a government expert who works in Italy and Scotland, says "there is a strong case for keeping the UK research councils to provide the critical mass needed in modern science".
He goes on to point out that Quebec, Catalonia and the Basque country have developed their own research programmes in parallel with the Canadian and Spanish governments.
The comments are included among 130 submissions to the commission chaired by Sir Kenneth Calman, and set up by Labour, Conservative and LibDem parties to look into the workings of Scottish devolution and recommend further reforms.
The commission met yesterday in Glasgow, before its first public meeting. The media was excluded to let people "give their views without being surrounded by cameras and journalists, in a forum where they know it will not be followed up", according to Sir Kenneth.
The next public meeting will be in Dumfries followed by Berwick-upon-Tweed, with more planned for elsewhere in England.
Sir Kenneth explained at a press conference that he wants to gather evidence from outside Scotland on the implications of more constitutional change for the rest of the UK. He has had talks with those carrying out a similar review of Welsh devolution.
The chairman, who is chancellor of Glasgow University and a former Chief Medical Officer in Scotland and Whitehall, said a majority of submissions so far have backed more financial powers going to Holyrood.
He welcomed comments from Prime Minister Gordon Brown last week that confirmed the commission's remit of addressing the "problem" of the Scottish Parliament having spending powers but few taxation powers.
Professor Anton Muscatelli, an economist and principal of Heriot-Watt University, is drawing up a report on the possible tax options, to be published with the interim report of the Calman Commission at the start of December.
It emerged that another focus of the commission's work is on relations between governments in Edinburgh and London, with a strong hint that they need to work better.
Lord Jamie Lindsay, a former Tory minister on the panel, stressed the Commission is looking closely at links between MPs, MSPs and MEPs, as well as between governments and European institutions.
Sir Kenneth and First Minister Alex Salmond have communicated by letter, with the commission chairman saying the First Minister was being "very helpful".
Sir Kenneth was not willing to to say if Mr Salmond will be asked to appear before the commission and a spokesman for the First Minister refused to say how he would respond, if asked.
