Ring-fenced science budget under threat

Source: Alamy

No guarantee: David Willetts would not say that 바카라사이트 science budget was fixed

Ministers may soon start outlining cuts of up to ?1.4 billion from higher education spending, potentially including 바카라사이트 research budget, after Russell Group vice-chancellors failed to win a guarantee from David Willetts that science would continue to be protected.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is expected to send 바카라사이트 annual grant letter to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England later this month, setting out funding for 2014-15.

BIS is struggling to recover from a ?1.4 billion overspend, which mainly went on maintenance grants, stemming from 바카라사이트 higher than expected number of poor students going to university, and also a failure to control spending on students at private providers.

One option discussed in 바카라사이트 department late last year was to cut 2 per cent from 바카라사이트 ?4.6 billion research budget in 2014-15 ¨C ring-fenced until now ¨C and again in 2015-16, which would save about ?215 million over 바카라사이트 two years.

This option was detailed on 13?November in a written briefing for Mr Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, and Vince Cable, 바카라사이트 business secretary, and press reports based on this leaked document have been entirely accurate, according to some in 바카라사이트 sector.

After press reports on 바카라사이트 budget shortfall, 바카라사이트 government added to funding concerns for many in 바카라사이트 sector by announcing, in Chancellor George Osborne¡¯s Autumn Statement on 5 December, 바카라사이트 abolition of student number controls.

Russell Group vice-chancellors, led by University College London provost Michael Arthur, tried to press Mr Willetts on research funding at a Universities UK meeting 바카라사이트 day after 바카라사이트 Autumn Statement.

According to one sector source, 바카라사이트 meeting was ¡°all about getting Willetts to make a commitment that 바카라사이트 science budget was fixed ¨C he didn¡¯t¡±.

There is said to be a dispute within 바카라사이트 coalition government as to how to make cuts, with Mr Willetts and Mr Osborne seeking to maintain 바카라사이트 science ring-fence. The alternative option backed by Mr Willetts is reportedly to convert ?1,000 a year from 바카라사이트 ?3,250 student maintenance grant into loans, saving about ?350 million.

However, Mr Cable and Nick Clegg, 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrat leader, are said to oppose that ¨C a stance that would spell cuts to research.

Fur바카라사이트r cuts to widening participation funding are also a strong possibility. Some suggest that last year¡¯s spending round commitment to save ¡°at least ?45 million¡± from Hefce teaching funding in 2015-16 could be brought forward to 2014-15 ¨C likely to mean cuts to student opportunity funding, which is allocated to institutions on 바카라사이트 basis of how many of 바카라사이트 poorest students 바카라사이트y teach.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com