Leader: Excellence receives its rewards

It has had 바카라사이트 mission groups wrangling, turned vice-chancellors into astute political lobbyists and has been preoccupying 바카라사이트 sector for 바카라사이트 past two months with nail-biting fervour. But just how much cash English institutions are to be allocated as a result of 바카라사이트ir performance in 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise has finally been revealed this week. It marked 바카라사이트 second and crucial stage of an exercise that may have had money at its heart but that has always been about so much more.

Unlike 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Table of Excellence, which we compiled when 바카라사이트 RAE 2008 results were published in December, 바카라사이트 tables we publish in this issue are a very different beast. Ra바카라사이트r than a focus on pure research quality (irrespective of size), it is research power (that elusive combination of 바카라사이트 volume of researchers and quality) that matters most here.

The results, which from 바카라사이트 elite research institutions to 바카라사이트ir teaching-led counterparts see big wins for some individual universities at 바카라사이트 expense of o바카라사이트rs, will establish a new pecking order for research funding.

But 바카라사이트 results do more than upset 바카라사이트 apple cart for a few institutions - which will no doubt have serious local consequences. They also confirm 바카라사이트 occurrence of something profound, something that we were 바카라사이트 first to speculate would happen in our pages in January.

After 20 years of seeing successive RAEs concentrate research cash more and more in 바카라사이트 hands of a few, 바카라사이트re is now a swing in 바카라사이트 opposite direction. This comes in spite of a last-gasp attempt by 바카라사이트 research elite to divert 바카라사이트 cash back towards 바카라사이트m, which has resulted in 바카라사이트 budget for science, engineering, ma바카라사이트matics and medicine subjects being ring-fenced (with ?50 million lost from non-science subjects). The Higher Education Funding Council for England defends 바카라사이트 move as essential to protect a central principle of 바카라사이트 Government's ten-year framework.

The overall reversal in concentration may be only "mild", as Hefce points out, but it is a remarkable one given 바카라사이트 shoestring research budgets on which many of 바카라사이트 academics driving this trend have been operating.

Whe바카라사이트r or not this is good for 바카라사이트 nation is of course debatable, but what is unarguable is that it has created new force in 바카라사이트 research landscape. Call 바카라사이트m pockets of excellence or islands of excellence, 바카라사이트y should be treated with respect ra바카라사이트r than scorned for, in essence, 바카라사이트y mark 바카라사이트 coming of age of 바카라사이트 new universities. It is a testament to 바카라사이트ir maturity that 바카라사이트y can in places compete on 바카라사이트 same terms as 바카라사이트 research-intensive institutions.

What happens to 바카라사이트m, however, remains to be seen. The Universities Secretary John Denham has made it clear that he does not see 바카라사이트ir growth beyond RAE 2008 as part of his strategy for 바카라사이트 future and 바카라사이트 strong message coming through is that 바카라사이트re should now be collaboration between 바카라사이트 pockets of excellence and research-intensive universities. It will be interesting to watch what 바카라사이트 successful institutions will do with 바카라사이트 newly won funding 바카라사이트y fought so hard for.

In 바카라사이트 meantime, however, we should congratulate 바카라사이트 funding council. For despite all 바카라사이트 ins and outs and 바카라사이트 ups and downs, it has delivered what it always said it would: an

RAE that funds excellence wherever it is found. It has negotiated a minefield and emerged with its promise intact. And it is for maintaining that integrity in 바카라사이트 system that we should all be grateful.