Funding in English universities and its relationship to the Research Excellence Framework
Funding in English universities and its relationship to the Research Excellence Framework
The purpose of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) is to judge the quality of research in the UK and on that basis to apportion to universities, in a transparent manner, differential shares in the UK’s £1.6 billion pot of research funding. However, the funding process is anything but transparent! While the REF process was known years in advance and remained constant throughout the assessment exercise, the mechanisms for the subsequent award of quality-related research (QR) funding in England were opaque and ‘adjustable’. The financial outcomes were put in the public domain following publication of the REF outcomes, but the calculations still remain a ‘black box’ even for experienced university administrators. The funding factors were not revealed in advance and dramatic changes were made to the formula once the REF results were known. This paper explores the intricacies involved in university QR funding and looks at the correlations between it and various REF outcomes. It discusses the tactical implications for academics and university administrators, and whether simpler alternatives that are just as effective can be developed in time for the next iteration.
665-681
Kelly, Anthony
1facbd39-0f75-49ee-9d58-d56b74c6debd
August 2016
Kelly, Anthony
1facbd39-0f75-49ee-9d58-d56b74c6debd
Kelly, Anthony
(2016)
Funding in English universities and its relationship to the Research Excellence Framework.
British Educational Research Journal, 42 (4), .
(doi:10.1002/berj.3229).
Abstract
The purpose of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) is to judge the quality of research in the UK and on that basis to apportion to universities, in a transparent manner, differential shares in the UK’s £1.6 billion pot of research funding. However, the funding process is anything but transparent! While the REF process was known years in advance and remained constant throughout the assessment exercise, the mechanisms for the subsequent award of quality-related research (QR) funding in England were opaque and ‘adjustable’. The financial outcomes were put in the public domain following publication of the REF outcomes, but the calculations still remain a ‘black box’ even for experienced university administrators. The funding factors were not revealed in advance and dramatic changes were made to the formula once the REF results were known. This paper explores the intricacies involved in university QR funding and looks at the correlations between it and various REF outcomes. It discusses the tactical implications for academics and university administrators, and whether simpler alternatives that are just as effective can be developed in time for the next iteration.
Text
Kelly(2016)_Funding_universities_&_REF,BERJ.pdf
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 1 March 2016
e-pub ahead of print date: 24 March 2016
Published date: August 2016
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 387141
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/387141
ISSN: 0141-1926
PURE UUID: b9d1187a-7e61-4bd4-8d94-7c6b8650887d
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Date deposited: 12 Feb 2016 15:11
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 04:05
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