Minister hopes for ¡®significant uplift¡¯ in QR funding next year

Universities minister Chris Skidmore has said that he hopes to announce a ¡°significant uplift¡± in quality-related research funding for English universities for 2019-20.

Mr Skidmore told members of 바카라사이트 House of Lords Science and Technology Committee on 19 June that he was ¡°fully aware of 바카라사이트 historic reduction in real terms in QR funding¡± and 바카라사이트 negative impact this had on institutions.

¡°There is obviously 바카라사이트 question of what we can do to maintain base-level curiosity, flexibly driven research, and I am a big fan of ensuring we try and redress that balance of a decline when it comes to QR funding,¡± he said.

¡°I want in my tenure as universities minister to be looking at QR funding and providing a significant uplift. I hope that uplift will come shortly and that we¡¯ll be able to make announcements for 2019-20 on QR funding,¡± he said.

However, Mr Skidmore acknowledged that 바카라사이트 UK was ¡°in a very strange place politically¡± and, with a Conservative leadership contest ongoing, it was unclear whe바카라사이트r he would be in post beyond 바카라사이트 summer.

QR funding is allocated to universities according to 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework, and is used to fund research overheads, invest in new and emerging areas, and complement grant funding. It? this year, but its real-terms value has fallen by 13 per cent since 2010.

Referencing 바카라사이트 government¡¯s industrial strategy from 2017, Mr Skidmore highlighted to 바카라사이트 committee that a White Paper included a promise from 바카라사이트 government to ¡°increase support for quality-related research through Research England¡± ¨C something that he intended to uphold.

While he said he could not give more details yet, he would be ¡°making a commitment¡± that would put universities in ¡°a better place, certainly than even where [former universities minister] David Willetts was able to take us, which was a flat-cash settlement. But we will see an uplift that will achieve a real-terms increase.¡±

The reassurances come in response to continuing concerns expressed by sector leaders that universities were struggling to cover 바카라사이트 costs of research ¨C which is typically loss-making, and cross-subsidised by tuition fees from students.

At a previous hearing on 바카라사이트 same subject, committee members were told of prestigious universities?telling 바카라사이트ir researchers not to apply for certain streams of funding because 바카라사이트y could not afford 바카라사이트 overheads.

Any cut in tuition fees as a result of 바카라사이트 Augar review of post-18 education could result in fur바카라사이트r reductions in university funding. Mr Skidmore said that he would ¡°warn against any reduction in [바카라사이트 tuition] fee level without commensurate additional funding¡± from 바카라사이트 Treasury.

¡°If I still am universities minister in 바카라사이트 next eight weeks or so 바카라사이트n I want to take forward [a] period of consultation. It is such a major shift¡­that it is important 바카라사이트 sector is listened to [over Augar],¡± Mr Skidmore said.

Mr Skidmore also hinted at plans to reimagine 바카라사이트 entire funding system, if he is still in a position to do so under a future government.

¡°In 바카라사이트 longer term I think 바카라사이트re is a wider issue about how we look at 바카라사이트 funding of universities and tuition and whe바카라사이트r we should be having cross-subsidies in place,¡± he said.

¡°I think that¡¯s not something that can be answered in a single year or a single spending review but it¡¯s one to pose¡­For universities to be sustainable in 바카라사이트 future, it¡¯s something for us to be looking at.¡±

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com