WESTMINSTER FUNDING IS CUT

By Gavin Pearce

All Westminster departments will get lower grants for the coming academic year – because all missed out on the top ‘five-star’ rating in last year’s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

But to achieve a ‘five-star’ the rating research must be of “national importance”.

Dr Geoffrey Copland, the vice chancellor, reacted angrily to last Friday’s announcements that research funding would be cut by one percent to just over £2,000. He said staff had lost out due to their openness in self-assessment.

“The recent assessment demonstrated a marked improvement in both the quality and extent of research done by post-92 universities. And now this is being rewarded by severe cuts in funding.

“The announcement will see a number of universities facing serious financial and managerial difficulties as funding is cut,” he said.

The lecturers’ trade union shared Dr Copland’s anger. A spokesman for the National Association for Further and Higher Education said: “Research funding is down even though research output has gone up considerably - this is hardly an incentive to staff to come up with the goods for the next RAE exercise.”

But Sir Howard Newby, chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, said the announcements were good news for all institutions and students.

“Funding per student has been increased for the second year after two years of decline,” he said.