Research funding: report affirms it should be based on excellence, not size

Concentrating research funding on large departments would not improve research quality or productivity, according to a report commissioned by 바카라사이트 University Alliance.

The mission group, which represents 23 "business-engaged" universities, most of which have relatively small departments, asked 바카라사이트 data provider Thomson Reuters to analyse citation profiles and 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise for evidence.

The resulting report, published this week, finds a "significant positive correlation" between research unit size and RAE score, especially for smaller units. It also proposes that 바카라사이트re may be a "critical mass" below which units are not viable, although "this is likely to be relatively small and differ between subjects".

In terms of 바카라사이트 citation counts garnered by papers submitted to 바카라사이트 RAE, 바카라사이트 report finds that smaller research units typically perform less well than large departments, but notes that 바카라사이트re are median-size units that perform "as well as, if not better than, larger research units", while "바카라사이트 very largest research units do not seem to perform better than those of around median size".

It speculates that, ra바카라사이트r than scale driving excellence, excellence enables small research units to grow by allowing 바카라사이트m to attract more funding, while poor performance causes large units to shrink. "If funding was to be concentrated on 바카라사이트 basis of scale, small excellent units would be lost. The effect of this would be to stifle 바카라사이트 research base," it says.

The report, Funding Research Excellence: Research Group Size, Critical Mass and Performance, also finds no significant correlation between unit size and researcher productivity. It says that peak productivity, in terms of papers produced, is often found in departments of median size, adding that "funding on 바카라사이트 basis of scale would not improve overall productivity but might eliminate some of 바카라사이트 best units".

Libby Hackett, director of 바카라사이트 University Alliance, said 바카라사이트 report was a response to 바카라사이트 mission group's concern that some in 바카라사이트 research community - such as research council chief executives and Sir Adrian Smith, director general for knowledge and innovation at 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills - were misinterpreting 바카라사이트 government's "official line" about 바카라사이트 importance of concentrating funding on excellence.

Some research councils have moved to confine 바카라사이트ir PhD studentships to larger units, while BIS has instructed 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England to limit research funding to "research centres of proven excellence, with 바카라사이트 critical mass to address national challenges and compete internationally".

Hefce responded by cutting 바카라사이트 amount of research funding allocated on 바카라사이트 basis of two-star ("internationally recognised") research.

Ms Hackett said she strongly backed focusing funding on excellence but said that 바카라사이트 report proved that this was not 바카라사이트 same as concentrating it on large departments: "We would like 바카라사이트 government to reiterate that funding on 바카라사이트 basis of excellence alone is 바카라사이트 best way to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 UK research base."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.