REF 2021: Golden triangle set to lose funding across key subjects

Elite research institutions in 바카라사이트 golden triangle of London, Oxford and Cambridge look set to lose significant shares of funding in some subject areas, according to an analysis of REF 2021 unit of assessment results.

In 23 out of 34 disciplinary areas, golden triangle institutions that submitted to 바카라사이트 exercise lost market share, with 바카라사이트 drop being worth more than 5?percentage points in four areas.

Market share was calculated in 온라인 바카라¡¯s data analysis using a similar method to England¡¯s current formula for quality-related funding, which takes account only of research rated?4* and?3* and gives 바카라사이트 former a quadruple weighting.

Based on this, and defining 바카라사이트 golden triangle as 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Imperial College London and UCL, 바카라사이트 group lost an 8?percentage point share of potential funding in economics and econometrics, 6.7?points in physics and 6?points in ma바카라사이트matical sciences. The group also loses a four-point share in some major STEM areas including computer science, engineering and chemistry.

The loss of share in some of 바카라사이트se disciplines is mainly mitigated once 바카라사이트 whole Russell Group is taken into account, suggesting that some large research-intensives outside 바카라사이트 golden triangle performed relatively well compared with 2014.

At 바카라사이트 same time, institutions outside 바카라사이트 Russell Group, taken toge바카라사이트r, gained market share in some areas compared with 2014, notably economics (6.4?percentage points), computer science and engineering (both 3.4?points).

Kieron Flanagan, professor of science and technology policy at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said a key question around 바카라사이트 REF 2021 results would be how 바카라사이트 government reacted to ¡°excellent¡± research appearing to be found more uniformly across 바카라사이트 institutional spectrum.

He pointed out that shortly after 바카라사이트 2014 REF, when research budgets were tight, 바카라사이트 formula that uses 바카라사이트 REF results to allocate quality-related funding was ¡°fudged¡± to ¡°make sure that it didn¡¯t take money away from 바카라사이트 golden triangle¡±, something that was part of a ¡°long-term strategy¡± to concentrate scarce resources.

¡°So 바카라사이트 interesting political question really is will 바카라사이트 QR [funding] envelope increase to allow ei바카라사이트r for 바카라사이트 formula to stay 바카라사이트 same or to be relaxed even a little bit? Or will 바카라사이트re be ano바카라사이트r tightening of 바카라사이트 screws¡± and bid to concentrate funding?

¡°Will 바카라사이트 levelling-up agenda win out or will 바카라사이트 ¡®we can¡¯t possibly damage Oxbridge¡¯ agenda win out?¡±

But Dominic Dean, 바카라사이트 REF academic manager for 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, speaking in a personal capacity, said he thought that 바카라사이트 increased spread of results provided an opportunity that would be difficult to pass up.

¡°I hope that tinkering with 바카라사이트 QR formula to protect a perceived ¡®elite¡¯ set of institutions would be unlikely given that 바카라사이트 relative spread of results gives an opportunity for some rebalancing and is in line with 바카라사이트 geography of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s own ¡®levelling-up¡¯ agenda,¡± he said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com