The current system encourages conflict between scientists and government bureaucrats over individual allocations, said E. van Spiegel, director-general of the Division of Science Policy in the Ministry of Education and Science.
"The civil servant has the opportunity—often the duty—to occupy himself with details," said Spiegel. "Travel expenses, for example, may be an insignificant part of the total budget. But they can cause enormous fights within an organization about whether each professor has been given his proper share."
Under the new system, the government sets broad goals and leaves to the institution the task of developing strategies to meet these goals. Organizations will be free to decide how to disburse their funds among additional staff, new equipment, improvements in their physical plant, or to meet other needs. The practice of buying equipment in December with funds remaining in an expiring budget will become a thing of the past, Spiegel said.
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