The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) yesterday issued the final criteria and working methods for its Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment exercise. The research press is still full of various academic voices continuing to rant against the whole issue of HEFCE assessing 'research impact' for the first time. Seems to be a waste … Continue reading Research impact: One small tweak for HEFCE, one important nod to public involvement
HEFCE
Health and Social Care Bill and other reasons to switch-on
I begin with a public information announcement....If you are following the debate about the Health and Social Care Bill then you really must come to AMRC's workshop on 29th March to discuss its impact on research and what's to be done about it. If it is anything like the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Research … Continue reading Health and Social Care Bill and other reasons to switch-on
HEFCE Announces Impact Weighting for REF 2014
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has today announced the weighting for 'impact' for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2014. It will be 20% with the expectation that it will increase in future exercises. Sounds like a sound and balanced decision given the history of the debate but also the learning from … Continue reading HEFCE Announces Impact Weighting for REF 2014
Willetts at UUK Spring Conference – white paper, postgraduate education etc
The Science Minister, David Willetts MP, has been speaking today at University UK's Spring Conference (have UUK actually seen the weather out there?). The full text of his speech is available from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills website but I was very pleased to see this section in it: 'There's another issue too. We are … Continue reading Willetts at UUK Spring Conference – white paper, postgraduate education etc
HEFCE Funding Announcement – Lord Willis Comment
LORD WILLIS, AMRC CHAIR, COMMENTS ON HEFCE FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT Reacting to today’s announcement of funding allocations for Higher Education Institutions by the Higher Education Funding Council For England (HEFCE) Lord Willis, Chair of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), said: “These are uncertain times for science and research with a tightening spending budget and considerable … Continue reading HEFCE Funding Announcement – Lord Willis Comment
Science budget: where will the money go?
If you are looking for the detail of today's announcement by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) on the science budget allocations for the spending review period then please look at the excellent summary by our policy and public affairs manager, Becky Purvis, here. Further perspective from me in due course. But, given … Continue reading Science budget: where will the money go?
Not another article about partnership
The term 'partnership' is now scattered liberally through the narrative we all use for the way in which we work - either as organisations or as individuals. The highly inventive among us occasionally substitute it with 'collaboration' or even the more arcane 'working together,' but partnership is in the ascendant in every sense. But I am beginning to … Continue reading Not another article about partnership
Simon Denegri's Lay Review 