The end of the experiment

The Journal congratulates University of Edinburgh graduate Professor Robert Edwards on his winning of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Professor Edwards, who was honoured by the Nobel Foundation for his work in the development of in vitro fertilisation, is the fifth Edinburgh graduate to later become a Nobel laureate, and his success is a pleasant reminder of the University's high academic standing.

However, much as we applaud Professor Edwards for his success, all is not well in academia. The ominous warning of a potential 'brain drain' at the University of Edinburgh and other leading British academic institutions, reported in this issue, is one that cannot be ignored.

The staggering scale of the proposed cuts in the government's science budget – up to 25 per cent by some estimations – would deal a significant blow to Britain's reputation as a welcoming home for academic endeavour. This government's slash-and-burn economics may help us out of our immediate financial predicament, but they will leave the country a poorer place intellectually.

The issue with research-intensive universities, and their pride in membership of prestigious organisations like the Russell Group, is that research needs to be intensive. Academics may labour in their chosen fields out of love, but few will choose to starve for it. Without proper funding, they will start to leave.

Britain already fights a running battle against America's private universities, with their vast endowments and limited dependence on government funding, to capture and retain the world's brightest academic minds. A £1 billion reduction in available funding for science and technology will indelibly alter the complexion of that human tug-of-war.

The Browne Review, the findings of which were due to be published as The Journal went to press, is likely to recommend drastic cuts in research funding – not to mention the complete removal of the cap on tuition fees. For students, this will make university an even more expensive experience than it already is. For academics, it will mean ever-fiercer competition for what grant money remains, and a significant reduction in the number of available PhD places. Academia may be considered by some to be the poor cousin of commerce, but research fuels the economy. Neglecting it now will undoubtedly be seen as a mistake in years to come.