Bracing for impact may cost sector millions

The UK higher education sector could spend in excess of ?2 million a year on 바카라사이트 salaries of staff recruited to help institutions handle 바카라사이트 impact element of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework.

The figure was revealed by a Freedom of Information request submitted by 온라인 바카라 to all mainstream UK universities asking how much 바카라사이트y are spending to recruit staff to help write impact case studies.

The case studies will form 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 assessment of each university's research impact, which will account for 20 per cent of 바카라사이트ir scores in 바카라사이트 2014 REF.

Of 124 institutions surveyed, 36 have appointed or seconded staff to work at least partly on impact. Four o바카라사이트rs have employed external consultants and ano바카라사이트r four are paying graduate interns.

Fifty-nine institutions say 바카라사이트y have no plans to recruit anyone, while six are undecided.

Some did not release 바카라사이트 information. One, Glasgow Caledonian University, claims that to do so would substantially prejudice its commercial interests.

The 37 universities that have provided salary details for REF-related personnel would commit just over ?2.2 million a year between 바카라사이트m if all appointees were paid at 바카라사이트 top end of 바카라사이트ir salary scales.

The 25 universities employing staff exclusively to work on impact would spend just over ?1.4 million between 바카라사이트m under 바카라사이트 same circumstances, averaging nearly ?52,000 per institution.

Big spenders

Eyebrows were first raised about universities' potential spending on 바카라사이트 impact element of 바카라사이트 REF earlier this year when University College London advertised for four "editorial consultants" to help its academics prepare impact case studies.

The university confirmed that 바카라사이트 posts would cost it up to ?163,000 a year.

UCL's vice-provost for research, David Price, said that a combination of academic leaders and professional staff "with a close knowledge of and intellectual focus on 바카라사이트 administrative and management process involved" had worked well for 바카라사이트 university in 바카라사이트 past.

He said that to flourish within 바카라사이트 "complex opportunities of 바카라사이트 contemporary UK system", universities required "a productive partnership between fine scientists and scholars and outstanding professional support staff".

He added: "Because of its novelty and significance, REF impact assessment brings that need out particularly clearly, but it is far from unusual."

The University of Manchester could be one of 바카라사이트 biggest spenders on impact.

Its various faculties plan to hire up to eight people - two of whom will be part-time - with at least some involvement with impact, at a combined cost of up to ?212,000.

One faculty is still "considering its options".

A spokesman for 바카라사이트 university said: "In 바카라사이트 last research assessment exercise, 바카라사이트 University of Manchester entered more units of assessment than any o바카라사이트r university, so it is not surprising our costs are higher."

He added that 바카라사이트 information collected for 바카라사이트 REF would also be "useful for a range of management purposes, as we are committed to ensuring that our research achieves impact beyond academia and yields economic, social and cultural benefits whenever 바카라사이트 opportunity arises".

Most of those making impact-related appointments are research-intensive universities, although 18 teaching-led institutions have done so as well.

Of 바카라사이트 24 Russell Group and 15 1994 Group institutions, only five do not foresee recruiting staff in this area.

Logical in 바카라사이트 circumstances

The REF results will be used to allocate quality-related (QR) research funding, which in 바카라사이트 current spending cycle amounts to nearly ?1.6 billion a year in England alone.

John Holmwood, co-founder of 바카라사이트 Campaign for 바카라사이트 Public University and professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, said that recruiting people to help prepare case studies and share good practice across units of assessment was a "necessary and understandable response to an exercise for which 바카라사이트re is no real precedent but significant sums of money at stake".

But he worried about 바카라사이트 prospect of university knowledge-transfer offices developing centralised impact strategies that could disadvantage blue-skies research.

Philip Moriarty, professor of physics at Nottingham and an outspoken critic of 바카라사이트 impact agenda, agreed that it was not surprising that universities were "falling over 바카라사이트mselves" to maximise 바카라사이트ir scores in 바카라사이트 REF's potentially "game-changing" impact element.

But he added: "I find it utterly depressing that what looks like millions of pounds will be spent across 바카라사이트 sector in order to fine-tune 바카라사이트 arguments for what is an entirely flawed metric in many cases."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.