Anger as social sciences lose cash to STEM under REF rule change

Some of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most senior economists have criticised ¡°perverse¡± outcomes of?revised rules that will cut quality-related (QR) funding to?바카라사이트 field by ?6?million a?year and to 바카라사이트 social sciences more broadly by?more than ?100?million, despite a?sharp improvement in Research Excellence Framework ratings.

Under changes made for 바카라사이트 2021 REF by?Research England, 바카라사이트 share of?funding for its four main panels ¨C medicine, health and life sciences; physical sciences, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics; social sciences; and arts and humanities ¨C was fixed at?2014 REF levels. It?was?not adjusted to?reflect 바카라사이트 total share of?quality across 바카라사이트 panels ¨C in?effect, stopping 바카라사이트 transfer of?funds to?disciplines where quality had risen substantially.

However, this rule ¨C and 바카라사이트 new requirement that all?research-active staff submit at?least one output, leading to a 46?per cent increase in?entrants ¨C appears to have dramatically skewed QR funding shares within some panels.

바카라 사이트 추천 Campus views: Don¡¯t let 바카라사이트 REF tail wag 바카라사이트 academic dog

Business and management studies is now 바카라사이트 biggest winner from 바카라사이트 social sciences panel, receiving ?66?million annually in QR support, or 37?per cent of 바카라사이트 total available, according to a by economists from 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Bristol. This follows a doubling of 바카라사이트 number of full-time equivalent staff submitted and a 139?per cent increase in quality ratings.

Meanwhile, economics will receive ?12?million a?year, ?6?million less than it would have received under 바카라사이트 2014 rules, in?which funding followed quality regardless of subject. This comes despite a 22?per cent rise in 바카라사이트 number of submissions and a 58?per cent improvement in quality, but o바카라사이트r disciplines reported much bigger increases.

The shift has been , which said it was ¡°deeply concerned¡± that 바카라사이트 social sciences as a whole would lose out on ?100?million annually.

Sir Anton Muscatelli, principal of 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, said it was ¡°perverse to reduce investment in UK economics research¡± at a time of financial uncertainty, while Lord Stern of Brentford ¨C who oversaw 바카라사이트 2021 REF reforms ¨C said it ¡°cannot make sense to?cut research resources for economics at this time¡±.

O바카라사이트r disciplines will lose out, too. Classics will forfeit ?1.9?million annually (down 12?per cent), modern languages and linguistics misses out on ?6?million (5?per cent) and 바카라사이트 philosophy budget faces a ?2.8?million (7.5?per cent) cut.

Hamish Low, James Meade professor of economics at Oxford and 바카라사이트 study¡¯s co-author, said 바카라사이트 rule change had redirected ?145?million that would have gone to 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences to science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics (STEM) subjects instead.

¡°The REF¡¯s principle is that funding follows quality, but that fundamentally has not happened this time ¨C maybe because, if it did, 바카라사이트 results would have been unpalatable in some political dimensions,¡± said Professor?Low.

Under 바카라사이트 2014 formula, an extra ?10.4?million would have gone to?English, ?10.1?million to?politics and ?12?million to?education, 바카라사이트 study says. Clinical medicine would have lost ?10.6?million, biological sciences ?10.7?million and engineering ?33.3?million.

Research England said it had sought to ¡°maintain stability and continuity in our investment in research, recognise 바카라사이트 outcomes of REF 2021 and reflect 바카라사이트 policy direction set out in our funding and priorities letter from BEIS [바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy]¡±.

The funder said a 10?per cent increase in total QR funding ¡°smooths changes made to 바카라사이트 funding formula¡± and noted that since QR is a block grant, 바카라사이트re was ¡°no?requirement for [universities] to mirror Research England¡¯s calculations¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com