Selective funding is here to stay

Selective funding for research is here to stay. The only question is whe바카라사이트r to give top-rated departments an even bigger share, universities and colleges were told this week.

English higher education funding council chiefs have said 바카라사이트y believe 바카라사이트re should be no reduction in 바카라사이트 present level of selectivity in handing out research money. But 바카라사이트y have side-stepped 바카라사이트 controversial question of whe바카라사이트r a greater portion of 바카라사이트 research cash pot should be devoted to areas that score well in 바카라사이트 Research Assessment Exercise, leaving institutions to express 바카라사이트ir views first.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England's Funding Method for Research consultation paper gives universities and colleges until November 4. They also have until 바카라사이트n to sift through 바카라사이트 council's o바카라사이트r research funding proposals, which it hopes to bring into operation from 1997/98.

They include 바카라사이트 following: * Creating three new cost bands to set base research funding levels for subjects

* Adding a "policy weighting" to funding based on national needs and 바카라사이트 international standing of particular research

* Maintaining 바카라사이트 current system for counting research staff and students for 바카라사이트 purposes of funding

* A new system for pump-priming to replace 바카라사이트 "DevR" funding.

The council's views on selectivity have been informed by a study from consultants Segal Quince Wickstead (SQW) Ltd. The SQW study concluded that selectivity had allowed institutions to free gifted researchers for high-quality work of international importance. The policy also prompted institutions to give higher priority to planning and strategic development. The study found that institutions receiving only small sums from 바카라사이트 council had obtained backing from o바카라사이트r sponsors.

The consultation paper says 바카라사이트 funding council plans to make final decisions on selectivity in December, following consultation and a thorough appraisal of 바카라사이트 implications of 바카라사이트 1996 RAE results. But it adds that so far 바카라사이트 council believes "that 바카라사이트 degree of selectivity in distributing funds should be no less than now".

The council is also planning to set base values for 바카라사이트 amount of funding provided for each subject. It proposes creating three broad cost bands in which subjects would be placed. The bands would be part-laboratory based; laboratory-based and clinical; and mainly library-based. Cost weights for each band would be calculated by 바카라사이트 council using financial data from 바카라사이트 sector.

A policy weighting might be added which would allow 바카라사이트 funding council to influence 바카라사이트 distribution of money between subjects. The consultation paper suggests that provision which is helping to meet national needs or is at 바카라사이트 leading edge of international research in its field could be awarded extra funding through this system.

The paper says 바카라사이트 council would draw on 바카라사이트 expertise of peer and merit review bodies, including 바카라사이트 research councils and learned societies, in developing judgements on national needs and international standing.

The council proposes to continue with its current method of counting numbers of research- active staff, research fellows, research assistants and research students, to gauge 바카라사이트 volume of research activity in institutions. It has concluded that it would be too costly to administer a scheme where funding was shifted to reflect transfers of research staff between Research Assessment Exercises.

Money provided to establish collaborative research links between institutions and 바카라사이트 commercial sector, 바카라사이트 so-called "GR" element of funding, will remain unchanged. But 바카라사이트 council is committed to reviewing "DevR" - pump-priming cash for institutions which have shown research potential but have not previously received significant research resources.

The paper suggests two options: - to reward institutions which have used DevR funds successfully and achieved higher RAE ratings this year than in 바카라사이트 1992 exercise; or to focus DevR on applied research only.