BIS Publishes Milestones for Reform

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has set out its plans implementing changes to higher education. It intends to 'establish a higher education, science and research framework that promotes world-class competitiveness in teaching and research.Ensure progression, fair access and better quality for students. Strengthen links between universities and industries and support innovation and technology development.'

Amongst its milestones to achieve this are the following:

• Develop a white paper on the future strategy of higher education - by March 2011
• Introduce legislation to make possible the 'new arrangements' - by May 2012
• Set out changes to the REF, including assessment of impact - by March 2011
• Reform QR funding to focus on excellence - by July 2011
• Implement recommendations of Wakeham Review - by March 2011
• Reform HEIF funding - by July 2011
• Establish network of Advanced Technology Centres - by April 2012
• Complete move to RCUK Shared Services Centre - by March 2011

So hold on to your hats. By March next year we'll begin to see the reality of the government's brave new world. As the document says, 'the Coalition is committed to a programme of reform that will turn government on its head.' Does that mean upside down government? We'll wait and see.

How to Do More with Less

Following Vince Cable's call to 'do more with less', William Culerne Brown in Research Fortnight has come up with ten ideas. These include:

• ditching the 'open access' agenda;
• ditching the public engagement agenda;
• canceling the research outcomes system, currently under development by RCUK;
• simplifying and standardising contracts, to cut down on the time spent negotiating them;
• simplifying grant proposals, especially in the minutiae of costing;
• repealing the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004, which he sees as much too complex and burdensome;
• ditching the REF, and transfer QR to RCUK;
  

Controversial, but invigorating stuff! For the full list, and more justification of each idea, go to the main article here.

UUK Sings the Blues

Paul Clark, Director of Policy at Universities UK (UUK), has confirmed the gloomy outlook for public funding for 'the course of at least 2 Parliaments.' At a conference hosted by the Charted Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) which examined costing and pricing issues for HEIs, Clark offered his assessment of funding in higher education. 'On a TRAC-adjusted basis, the whole sector is significantly in deficit, suggesting problems for the medium-term,' he said. He suggested that there may be cuts of around 5%, and that investment was required in order to sustain quality. 'Income will be less predictable.'

In addition he noted the politicisation of research funding. 'Funding for research has become more directional in the recent past, related to Government priorities: this trend is likely to continue into the future.'

Finally, he rejected the suggestion that the dual support mechanism be changed (as reported in this post). '[It] is critical to the success of the UK research base. Both streams (RCUK and QR funding) are vital to the strength of the sector.'