Nature blog contains an interesting item today looking at the impact of science funding cuts on different universities assuming that funds are directed away from 2* as opposed to 3* or 4* research – the excellence rating given under the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

But William Cullerne Brown goes into much more detail, looking at different cut scenarios and their impact.  Fascinating but unpal;atable reading.

The knock-on effects will be significant for charities.  80% of all charity funding for research (£1.1 billion in 2009-2010) goes to universities.  And about 80% of this goes to universities who are members of the Russell Group.  But, depending on the scenario, significant amounts of charity research will be vulnerable. 

The pictures drawn here are helpful at least in, as Nature says, visualising what could happen to different institutions and making global figures begin to make sense in terms of the impact on the ground.  Information that should be passed on to every MP with such an institution in their constituency.  And you can do that through the Science is Vital campaign site.