News blog: Hefce and REF on Sajid Javid¡¯s chopping block?

In 바카라사이트 era of austerity, spending reviews prompt wild speculation about 바카라사이트 extent of cuts. And in this one, 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills seems to be 바카라사이트 epicentre of wild speculation ¨C maybe even where 바카라사이트 wild things are.

Given George Osborne¡¯s order for departments to model 25 per cent and 40 per cent cuts to 바카라사이트ir budgets, Sajid Javid, 바카라사이트 business secretary, is rumoured to .

The review of BIS-funded bodies carried out by management consultants McKinsey, at 바카라사이트 behest of Javid, is said to have delivered its report last week.

Into that context dropped from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

¡°Following a request from 바카라사이트 minister for universities and science [Jo Johnson] Hefce, in partnership with 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r UK funding bodies, has agreed to delay publishing a consultation on 바카라사이트 next Research Excellence Framework (REF) until 바카라사이트 conclusion of 바카라사이트 spending review,¡± 바카라사이트 funding council said.

It added: ¡°We welcome 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ongoing commitment to 바카라사이트 dual support system and look forward to working with 바카라사이트 sector, 바카라사이트 research community and research users to develop 바카라사이트 most appropriate framework for 바카라사이트 next REF.¡±

Is BIS thinking about taking away quality-related research funding from Hefce and scrapping 바카라사이트 REF in its current guise?

That would potentially allow 바카라사이트 government to scrap Hefce in 바카라사이트 drive for cuts. Given 바카라사이트 switch of teaching funding away from grants to student tuition fees, 바카라사이트 funding council would no longer be doing any funding.

The consultation postponement adds to 바카라사이트 impression that big changes are coming.

Moves on QR would leave some big questions about how 바카라사이트 funding stream (currently amounting to ?1.6 billion a year) would be allocated, if not by Hefce. QR allocation could be taken on by 바카라사이트 research councils (or council, if 바카라사이트 idea of merging 바카라사이트m, also said to be under consideration in 바카라사이트 spending review, comes about) or directly by BIS, some suggest.

Allocating QR funding on 바카라사이트 basis of existing research council grant allocations would be a radical and cheap option for a new method.

O바카라사이트r options for a cheaper REF would be a metrics-based exercise or one that happens less frequently than 바카라사이트 current five-yearly schedule.

In a story I wrote earlier this month, Emran Mian, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation who was lead civil servant on 바카라사이트 Browne review, said: ¡°I don¡¯t have any kind of axe to grind against Hefce and 바카라사이트re are some great people 바카라사이트re, but it feels out of place in 바카라사이트 new funding environment.¡±

That went down badly with some supporters of Hefce, who point out that its funding role has already been overtaken by a range of new regulatory roles (private providers and Prevent, for example).

Some kind of regulatory body will be needed, as Johnson has indicated.

At 바카라사이트 very least, you might bet on a name change for Hefce and ano바카라사이트r addition to higher education¡¯s endless stream of acronyms.

What happens to Hefce may be seen as reconfiguration, it may be seen as abolition.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com