What Lies Beneath

The NPIF in action
(photo andrewmalone via Flickr CC BY 2.0) 

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You've probably heard of a clutch of new, big-ticket funding schemes to be launched recently, including the Strategic Priorities Fund and the the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. What you may not know is that they're all part of the National Productivity Investment Fund. But what is it, and what's the thinking behind it? 

At Home with Phil Baty

Chair Number 4
(Photo by Ryan Riggins on Unsplash)

Early evening in the Baty household. Phil is busy rooting through the kitchen cupboards. Mrs Baty comes in. 

Mrs Baty: Phil, what are you doing? And why are all these tins of soup all over the floor?
Phil: I'm ranking.
Mrs Baty: I beg your pardon?
Phil: I'm ranking. With an R. It was complete chaos in the soup cupboard. I couldn't tell which was the most popular soup flavour. I've done a serious, robust qualitative study of all respondents (n=1), and I'm delighted to announce the winner of the inaugural Times Higher Soup Rankings. Cream of Tomato is at number 1 with 100% of the allocated soup points.