HEFCE Circular 4/97
Funding Method for Research from 1997-98
To Heads of HEFCE-funded Institutions
Heads of DENI-funded Universities
Of interest to Research and Finance
Reference 4/97
Publication Date February 1997
Enquiries to Regional Officers
Executive Summary
1. This circular describes the new funding method for research to be used from 1997-98 onwards. It also summarises responses to the consultation on the Council's proposals published in July 1996.
2. The Council will allocate the great majority of its funds for quality-related research (QR), which reflects ratings in the 1996 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). GR funding, which rewards generic research conducted with users of research, will be retained at its present level and allocated on the present basis. The Council will also introduce a new non-formula funding (NFF) initiative, primarily aimed at encouraging collaborative research, for former PCFC-funded institutions and others formerly eligible for DevR. The level of funding will reflect the departments rated 2 and 3b in the 1996 RAE.
3. The Council will distribute the money available for QR between subjects as follows:
a. A base level for the subject quanta will be established reflecting the volume of research and relative cost of each subject.
b. Units of assessment (UOAs) will be assigned to three bands - Band A (high cost laboratory or clinical subjects), Band B (intermediate cost subjects with a technical, experimental or practice-based element), Band C (other subjects). (See Annex A.)
c. Bands will have cost weights: Band A - 1.7; Band B - 1.3; Band C - 1.0.
d. All volume elements used previously in distributing quanta will also be used in setting quanta; most will have the same weights attached. These are: research active staff - weighted 1; research students - 0.15; research assistants and fellows - 0.1. The exception is charitable income whose weight will be increased from 0.2 to 0.25.
e. A policy factor will be included in the method for setting the quanta but this will not be used for 1997-98 funding. The Council will consult further during 1997 on the operation of the policy factor.
f. Changes in the base levels for the quanta will be phased, with only one third of the change introduced in 1997-98. The quanta to be used in allocations for 1997-98 are as shown at Annex B.
g. Provision for animal licence fees will be included in quanta from 1997-98, and the claims based system will cease.
4. The Council will distribute the subject quanta between institutions as follows:
a. QR will not be provided for departments achieving 1 or 2 ratings in the 1996 RAE.
b. Each rating point between 3b and 5 will attract a weight 50 per cent greater than the previous point, with a 20 per cent premium for 5*. This produces the following funding scale:
| 3b | 3a | 4 | 5 | 5* |
| 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.25 | 3.375 | 4.05 |
c. The volume elements and the weights attached to them for distributing quanta will be the same as for setting quanta.
d. Data on research assistants and fellows, research students and charitable income will be collected annually and will be used to distribute quanta.
e. The proportions of QR attributable to each of the volume elements will be kept broadly constant in future years.
f. For distributing quanta in clinical medicine UOAs (1-3), NHS-funded research active staff will be counted on the same basis as staff supported by an institution's general funds.
Background
5. The Council's research funding method has been under review throughout 1996. In July 1996, the Council issued a consultation paper (CP 2/96) 'Funding Method for Research' which invited comments on its preliminary proposals for the new method.
6. On 21 January 1997, the HEFCE Board considered responses to the consultation paper and decided on the new method to be used in allocations to institutions from 1997-98 onwards.
Policies and Principles
7. The Council's policies and principles for funding research were set out in full in CP 2/96.
8. The Council has reaffirmed its policy of providing the majority of research funding selectively, according to quality at subject level. The new method will deliver this policy.
Method for Funding Research for 1997-98 Onwards
QR
9. The Council has decided:
a. The method for distributing the money available for QR between subjects (setting the quanta).
b. The method for distributing the quanta between institutions.
Setting the Quanta
10. In CP 2/96 the Council proposed that it should establish principles for distributing money between subjects. (The subjects are the 69 UOAs from the 1996 RAE.) This would involve initially setting a base value, calculated by applying a relative cost weight to measures of volume for each subject. In future the base level quanta could be modified by applying a policy factor (paragraphs 24-27). The proposal to base the quanta on relative cost and volume was supported by 88 per cent of respondents to the consultation.
11. The Council has therefore decided that:
12. To calculate the quanta, the Council proposed in CP 2/96 that UOAs should be grouped into four bands (clinical medicine, laboratory based, part-laboratory based and library-based), with different cost weights. Financial information at that time suggested that the relative costs of clinical medicine and laboratory based bands were very similar, and should therefore have the same cost weight.
13. The Council received considerable information from the consultation about the nature of research in different subjects and about related costs. The Council has been influenced by these views in assigning UOAs to bands, as well as by quantitative information available to it on the relative costs of subjects. It would be unduly complex to divide a UOA across two bands, and unjustifiable given that the Council provides a block grant. Hence individual UOAs have been assigned to bands which most accurately reflect the aggregate cost of the spectrum of research carried out within them.
14. The Council proposed that cost weights should be calculated using the most up to date financial information. This was supported by 67 per cent of respondents.
15. Cost weights have now been calculated from the 1994-95 HESA Finance and Staff Records. In summary, departmental expenditure per cost centre was divided by academic staff FTEs funded from general funds, to generate a relative cost weight per UOA. The resulting cost weights were then aggregated to produce an average for the band. To simplify presentation of bands and cost weights, the Council will use the following terms:
- Band A, for high cost laboratory or clinical subjects.
- Band B, for intermediate cost subjects with a technical, experimental or practice-based element.
- Band C, for all other subjects.
16. The assignment of UOAs to these bands is given at Annex A, which also shows the assignments originally proposed in CP 2/96.
17. The Council has decided that:
- a. UOAs will be assigned to three bands - Band A (high cost laboratory or clinical subjects), Band B (intermediate cost subjects with a technical, experimental or practice-based element), Band C (other subjects). (See at Annex A).
- b. Bands will have cost weights: Band A - 1.7; Band B - 1.3; Band C - 1.0.
18. To simplify the method for calculating the base level, the Council proposed that research active staff should be the only volume measure used in setting the quanta. (The Council's current method takes account of the full range of volume elements also used in distributing quanta, that is, research assistants and fellows, research students and charitable income.) The Council's proposal was supported by 75 per cent of respondents, but a significant number felt that the wider range of elements should be used.
19. The Council has weighed the evidence carefully. It has been particularly persuaded by the argument that all the volume elements affect the amount of research expenditure between subjects, as well as within a subject. The Council has concluded that the base level quanta will reflect the call on funds more accurately if all the volume elements used in distribution are also used in setting the quanta.
20. The Council appreciates the important contribution made to the vitality of basic research by charities, and wishes to continue to maintain an active partnership with them. To recognise the demand on institutional infrastructure from projects supported by charities, the Council intends to increase the weighting given to charitable income in volume measures for both setting and distributing quanta. This is consistent with views expressed by the sector in the consultation. As a result, more money will be allocated to subjects, as well as to institutions, which attract support from charities.
21. For the initial setting of quanta in 1997-98, most weights attached to volume measures will be the same as in the previous research funding model: research active staff - weighted 1, research students - 0.15, research assistants and fellows - 0.1. The weighting for charitable income will be increased from 0.2 (In CP 2/96 Annex A, the weighting for charitable income in the previous model was given as 0.05. However this weighting was applied to the total charitable income for four years, and hence this is equivalent to a 0.2 weighting for one year's income.) to 0.25, applied to staff equivalent units of £25,000 (That is to say the total annual income from charities (averaged over two years) will be divided by 25,000, and a weight of 0.25 will be applied to the resulting total. So every £10,000 of charity income will count for one unit of volume.).
22. The definitions and methods of counting volumes will be the same for setting quanta as for distribution (described in paragraph 41). This means that, as in the current model, research active staff who do not count toward institutional allocations (staff in 1 and 2 rated departments) will not influence the size of quanta.
23. The Council has decided that:
24. The Council further proposed that base level quanta might be modified by a policy factor, reflecting judgements on national needs and the relative international standing of subjects. This was supported by 60 per cent of respondents. Among those who supported the proposals, some were concerned that there should be a robust method for generating judgements, and that the impact of the policy factor should be small until there was full confidence in it. Respondents also commented that the policy factor should be developed in consultation with the sector.
25. Some who opposed the proposal were concerned that the inclusion of a policy factor might signal a move away from the principle of the block grant. This is not the Council's intention: a policy factor would be used to influence the creation of quanta. There is no intention to move towards more prescriptive allocations.
26. The Council has decided that it should retain the possibility of a policy factor, which would allow it to exercise judgements on research priorities in the future and to respond to future developments in national policy. It is currently commissioning background studies and is discussing methods of generating judgements with OST, the Research Councils and the learned societies; these may inform the future use of the policy factor. The Council will consult on the methods, and related future funding decisions, in June 1997.
27. The Council has decided that:
28. The current quanta are influenced by historical patterns of funding inherited from the UGC (Universities Grants Committee) and UFC (Universities Funding Council). New rates of funding reflected in the cost weights described in paragraphs 12-17 are very different from previous rates for some subjects. In addition, there have been changes in the volume of activity in some subjects, revealed by the 1996 RAE. As a result, the new quanta calculated on the basis described above will vary from those of 1996-97, and quite significantly for some subjects. These are set out in column c2 'Unmoderated Quanta' of Annex B.
29. It is for institutions to decide the funds they provide for individual departments and units. However, the Council's quanta may inform institutions' decisions, and changes in quanta may lead to shifts in funds for some institutions which have research activity in only a few UOAs. To minimise the impact of the changes, the Council will phase the introduction of the new quanta. Only one third the changes in the quanta will be introduced for 1997-98 funding, which results in quanta as in column c3 'Moderated Quanta for 1997-98' of Annex B.
30. The Council will monitor the first year of operation and will consider this, and the possible inclusion of a policy factor, in December 1997. It will then confirm the phasing in of further changes and the future quanta levels.
31. The Council has decided that:
Animal Licences
32. From 1997-98 the DfEE will no longer provide the Council with an earmarked grant for the reimbursement of animal licence fees. The Council will therefore cease to operate a claims based process for reimbursing these fees to institutions. Provision for animal licence fees will be added to QR in proportion to the quanta for UOAs in which such expenditure occurs. Institutions may then meet the costs of fees from QR allocations.
33. The Council has decided that:
Distributing the Quanta
34. The Council will continue to distribute the quanta taking account of quality, judged in the 1996 RAE, and the volume of research undertaken by each institution in each subject.
35. The level of selectivity will continue to be influenced primarily by the need to ensure adequate funding for the highest quality departments. In the consultation, 32 per cent of respondents were in favour of some increase in the level of selectivity; 64 per cent favoured maintaining the present level.
36. Taking into consideration the overall improvement in RAE ratings, the limited funds available for research and the need to provide adequate funding for the very best, the Council has decided not to allocate QR for 1 or 2 rated departments. All other points on the RAE scale will be used in funding, with 50 per cent increases for each point between 3b and 5. In addition, the 5* point will attract a 20 per cent premium. This scale maintains the level of funding per research active staff member in 5 and 5* rated departments (combined) compared with that for 5 rated departments in 1996-97.
37. The 20 per cent premium for 5* rated departments is intended to maintain centres of excellence in research. Institutions will be invited to describe in their strategic plans how they are using funds to preserve world class research.
38. The Council has decided that:
- a. QR funding will not be provided for departments achieving 1 or 2 ratings in the 1996 RAE.
- b. Each rating point between 3b and 5 will attract a weight 50 per cent greater than the previous point, with a 20 per cent premium for 5*. This produces the following funding scale:
3b 3a 4 5 5* 1.0 1.5 2.25 3.375 4.05
39. Virtually all respondents to CP 2/96 endorsed the Council's proposal that all the volume elements currently used for distributing the quanta, and which will also be used in setting quanta (paragraphs 18-23), should be retained. There was also support from 82 per cent of respondents for the proposal that data on all volume measures except research active staff should be collected annually. Some respondents argued that research active staff should also be surveyed more frequently. However, the Council concluded that tracking such staff between RAEs would be unduly complex and expensive to administer.
40. Collecting annual data on volumes enables the distribution of funds between institutions to be dynamic. However, it may encourage increases in volume simply to achieve increases in funding. To counter this, virtually all respondents agreed that the proportion of QR attributable to each of the volume elements should be kept broadly static. The Council will set these proportions for 1997-98 by applying the weightings described in paragraph 21 to the latest data from the RAE and from responses to circular 17/96 'Research Activity Survey 1996'. This yields proportions of: 69 per cent (staff), 18 per cent (research students), 5 per cent (research assistants and fellows) and 8 per cent (charitable income). In subsequent years, weights attached to individual measures will vary so that the Council can meet its objective of keeping proportions broadly stable.
41. The sector endorsed the Council's proposal that it should continue to audit data and monitor consistency of returns by institutions. Detailed guidance on data definitions for volume elements was given in Circular 17/96.
42. The Council has decided that:
- a. The volume elements and the weights attached to them for distributing quanta will be the same as for setting quanta.
- b. Data on research assistants and fellows, research students and charitable income will be collected annually and will be used to distribute quanta.
- c. The proportions of QR attributable to each of the volume elements will be kept broadly constant in future years.
43. The Council will continue to count only those research active staff supported by general funds in the volume measures for both setting and distributing quanta. However, the distinction between generally and specifically funded staff is not clear in subjects which are substantially funded by the NHS. Institutions submitting to the RAE in clinical subjects were consulted; they strongly endorsed the Council's proposal that, for distributing the quanta, NHS funded category A staff should be counted on the same basis as generally funded staff. This special treatment is limited to UOAs 1-3, and will not affect the setting of the quanta.
44. The Council has decided that:
Non-formula funding: Collaborative Research
45. The Council announced in December that it would not continue development research funding (DevR), introduced in 1993-94 for former PCFC institutions.
46. However, the Council will fund an initiative to build upon the strengths developed through DevR. The initiative is intended to encourage, in particular, collaboration as a way of developing research potential. The need for a successor to DevR was supported in the consultation, with 77 per cent in favour.
47. Only former PCFC institutions and other institutions formerly eligible for DevR, with units achieving a 2 or 3b rating in the 1996 RAE, will be eligible to seek support from this NFF initiative. Subject to submission of a satisfactory plan for use of funds, eligible institutions will receive a sum calculated as follows:
a. A base level of £3,000 per member of staff returned by the institution as category A in units achieving a 2 rating in the 1996 RAE and funded from general funds. The cost weights (described in paragraph 17) will be applied to the base level, so that £3,000 is provided for staff in Band C, £3,900 for Band B and £5,100 for Band A.
b. A premium of 20 per cent of 1997-98 QR allocations for units achieving a 3b rating in the 1996 RAE.
48. The Council will shortly announce indicative NFF allocations with 1997-98 recurrent allocations. A circular letter inviting institutions with indicative NFF allocations to submit plans for the strategic use of such funds will follow at the end of February. NFF allocations will be confirmed by July 1997 so that payments can start for the 1997-98 academic year.
49. The Council has decided that:
GR
50. Generic research (GR) funding was introduced in 1994 in response to the Science, Engineering and Technology White Paper. The Council is committed to reviewing GR in 1999 and did not therefore consult upon it in CP 2/96. The method for allocating GR funding was described in Circular 17/96.
51. The Council has decided that:
Annex A
Mapping of 1996 Units of Assessment to Cost Bands
| Units Of Assessment | Proposed in Consultation | Assigned (to be used in funding) | |
| 1 | Clinical Laboratory Sciences | Clinical Medicine | A |
| 2 | Community Based Clinical Subjects | Clinical Medicine | A |
| 3 | Hospital Based Clinical Subjects | Clinical Medicine | A |
| 4 | Clinical Dentistry | Laboratory | A |
| 5 | Pre-Clinical Studies | Laboratory | A |
| 6 | Anatomy | Laboratory | A |
| 7 | Physiology | Laboratory | A |
| 8 | Pharmacology | Laboratory | A |
| 9 | Pharmacy | Laboratory | A |
| 10 | Nursing | Part-Laboratory | B |
| 11 | Other Studies and Professions Allied to Medicine | Laboratory | A |
| 12 | Biochemistry | Laboratory | A |
| 13 | Psychology | Part-Laboratory | B |
| 14 | Biological Sciences | Laboratory | A |
| 15 | Agriculture | Laboratory | A |
| 16 | Food Science and Technology | Laboratory | A |
| 17 | Veterinary Science | Laboratory | A |
| 18 | Chemistry | Laboratory | A |
| 19 | Physics | Laboratory | A |
| 20 | Earth Sciences | Laboratory | A |
| 21 | Environmental Studies | Laboratory | A |
| 22 | Pure Mathematics | Part-Laboratory | B |
| 23 | Applied Mathematics | Part-Laboratory | A |
| 24 | Statistics and Operational Research | Part-Laboratory | A |
| 25 | Computer Science | Part-Laboratory | A |
| 26 | General Engineering | Laboratory | A |
| 27 | Chemical Engineering | Laboratory | A |
| 28 | Civil Engineering | Laboratory | A |
| 29 | Electrical and Electronic Engineering | Laboratory | A |
| 30 | Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering | Laboratory | A |
| 31 | Mineral and Mining Engineering | Laboratory | A |
| 32 | Metallurgy and Materials | Laboratory | A |
| 33 | Built Environment | Part-Laboratory | B |
| 34 | Town and Country Planning | Part-Laboratory | B |
| 35 | Geography | Part-Laboratory | B |
| 36 | Law | Library | C |
| 37 | Anthropology | Library | C |
| 38 | Economic and Econometrics | Library | C |
| 39 | Politics and International Studies | Library | C |
| 40 | Social Policy and Administration | Library | C |
| 41 | Social Work | Library | C |
| 42 | Sociology | Library | C |
| 43 | Business and Management Studies | Part-Laboratory | C |
| 44 | Accountancy | Library | C |
| 45 | American Studies | Library | C |
| 46 | Middle Eastern and African Studies | Library | C |
| 47 | Asian Studies | Library | C |
| 48 | European Studies | Library | C |
| 49 | Celtic Studies | Library | C |
| 50 | English Language and Literature | Library | C |
| 51 | French | Library | C |
| 52 | German, Dutch and Scandinavian Languages | Library | C |
| 53 | Italian | Library | C |
| 54 | Russian, Slavonic and East European Languages | Library | C |
| 55 | Iberian and Latin American Languages | Library | C |
| 56 | Linguistics | Library | C |
| 57 | Classics, Ancient History, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies | Library | C |
| 58 | Archaeology | Library | B |
| 59 | History | Library | C |
| 60 | History of Art, Architecture and Design | Library | C |
| 61 | Library and Information Management | Library | C |
| 62 | Philosophy | Library | C |
| 63 | Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies | Library | C |
| 64 | Art and Design | Part-Laboratory | B |
| 65 | Communication, Cultural and Media Studies | Part-Laboratory | C |
| 66 | Drama, Dance and Performing Arts | Part-Laboratory | B |
| 67 | Music | Part-Laboratory | B |
| 68 | Education | Part-Laboratory | C |
| 69 | Sports Related Subjects | Part-Laboratory | B |
Annex B
1997-98 HEFCE Research Funding - Provisional Quality-Related (QR) Quanta and Volume
Quanta shown in £M
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 | c5 | c6 | c7 | c8 | c9 | |||
| Unit of Assessment (1996 RAE Definition) | 1996-97 Quanta | Unmoderated Quanta | Moderated Quanta for 1997-98 | Difference (c3 - c1) | Percentage Difference (c4 / c1) | 1996-97 Eligible Research Volume* | 1997-98 Eligible Research Volume** | Difference (c7 - c6) | Percentage Difference (c8 / c6) | ||
| 1 | Clinical Laboratory Sciences | 19.0 | 20.2 | 20.2 | 1.2 | 6% | 1,285 | 1,086 | -199 | -15% | |
| 2 | Community Based Clinical Subjects | 14.9 | 16.8 | 16.1 | 1.2 | 8% | 820 | 902 | 82 | 10% | |
| 3 | Hospital Based Clinical Subjects | 39.3 | 54.8 | 46.2 | 6.9 | 18% | 2,454 | 2,943 | 489 | 20% | |
| 4 | Clinical Dentistry | 8.0 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 0.0 | 1% | 407 | 390 | -17 | -4% | |
| 5 | Pre-Clinical Studies | 8.2 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 0.5 | 6% | 416 | 463 | 47 | 11% | |
| 6 | Anatomy | 5.9 | 3.9 | 5.5 | -0.4 | -7% | 303 | 210 | -93 | -31% | |
| 7 | Physiology | 7.3 | 5.6 | 7.1 | -0.2 | -3% | 385 | 299 | -86 | -22% | |
| 8 | Pharmacology | 3.6 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 0.6 | 17% | 194 | 274 | 80 | 41% | |
| 9 | Pharmacy | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 0.3 | 4% | 363 | 382 | 18 | 5% | |
| 10 | Nursing | 1.2 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 33% | 80 | 161 | 81 | 102% | |
| 11 | Other Studies and Professions Allied to Medicine | 3.4 | 5.8 | 4.3 | 0.9 | 26% | 170 | 309 | 139 | 82% | |
| 12 | Biochemistry | 10.5 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 0.6 | 6% | 713 | 598 | -115 | -16% | |
| 13 | Psychology | 11.8 | 13.0 | 12.7 | 0.9 | 8% | 796 | 913 | 117 | 15% | |
| 14 | Biological Sciences | 31.5 | 39.6 | 35.6 | 4.1 | 13% | 1,945 | 2,130 | 185 | 10% | |
| 15 | Agriculture | 6.7 | 8.0 | 7.4 | 0.7 | 10% | 433 | 428 | -5 | -1% | |
| 16 | Food Science and Technology | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0% | 96 | 72 | -25 | -26% | |
| 17 | Veterinary Science | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 0.3 | 7% | 216 | 241 | 25 | 12% | |
| 18 | Chemistry | 31.6 | 28.7 | 31.8 | 0.2 | 0% | 1,593 | 1,540 | -53 | -3% | |
| 19 | Physics | 23.7 | 28.0 | 25.9 | 2.2 | 9% | 1,558 | 1,485 | -73 | -5% | |
| 20 | Earth Sciences | 9.8 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 0.5 | 5% | 564 | 547 | -17 | -3% | |
| 21 | Environmental Sciences | 5.5 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 0.4 | 7% | 374 | 332 | -43 | -11% | |
| 22 | Pure Mathematics | 9.2 | 5.7 | 8.4 | -0.8 | -9% | 452 | 401 | -50 | -11% | |
| 23 | Applied Mathematics | 13.1 | 10.8 | 12.8 | -0.3 | -2% | 656 | 582 | -74 | -11% | |
| 24 | Statistics and Operational Research | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 0.2 | 3% | 364 | 374 | 10 | 3% | |
| 25 | Computer Science | 18.7 | 22.0 | 20.5 | 1.8 | 10% | 1,217 | 1,181 | -36 | -3% | |
| 26 | General Engineering | 14.3 | 15.0 | 15.1 | 0.8 | 6% | 719 | 804 | 86 | 12% | |
| 27 | Chemical Engineering | 8.0 | 6.8 | 7.9 | -0.0 | -1% | 432 | 364 | -68 | -16% | |
| 28 | Civil Engineering | 12.4 | 10.7 | 12.3 | -0.0 | -0% | 613 | 576 | -37 | -6% | |
| 29 | Electrical and Electronic Engineering | 20.1 | 19.8 | 20.7 | 0.6 | 3% | 1,270 | 1,063 | -207 | -16% | |
| 30 | Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering | 18.2 | 22.3 | 20.2 | 2.0 | 11% | 1,143 | 1,173 | 30 | 3% | |
| 31 | Mineral and Mining Engineering | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0% | 91 | 83 | -8 | -9% | |
| 32 | Metallurgy and Materials | 9.0 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 11% | 608 | 583 | -25 | -4% | |
| 33 | Built Environment | 5.0 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 0.4 | 8% | 446 | 384 | -63 | -14% | |
| 34 | Town and Country Planning | 2.7 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 22% | 245 | 281 | 37 | 15% | |
| 35 | Geography | 13.3 | 12.7 | 13.6 | 0.3 | 2% | 781 | 895 | 114 | 15% | |
| 36 | Law | 12.9 | 11.1 | 12.8 | -0.0 | -0% | 875 | 1,016 | 141 | 16% | |
| 37 | Anthropology | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0% | 182 | 245 | 63 | 35% | |
| 38 | Economics and Econometrics | 12.9 | 9.0 | 12.1 | -0.8 | -6% | 963 | 813 | -150 | -16% | |
| 39 | Politics and International Studies | 10.3 | 10.4 | 10.7 | 0.4 | 4% | 837 | 950 | 113 | 13% | |
| 40 | Social Policy and Administration | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 0.3 | 6% | 390 | 513 | 124 | 32% | |
| 41 | Social Work | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0% | 183 | 209 | 26 | 14% | |
| 42 | Sociology | 7.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 | 0.8 | 10% | 718 | 825 | 107 | 15% | |
| 43 | Business and Management Studies | 15.1 | 18.1 | 16.6 | 1.5 | 10% | 1,400 | 1,636 | 236 | 17% | |
| 44 | Accountancy | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.7 | -0.3 | -15% | 136 | 97 | -39 | -29% | |
| 45 | American Studies | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.2 | -0.1 | -8% | 88 | 96 | 8 | 9% | |
| 46 | Middle Eastern and African Studies | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.8 | -0.0 | -5% | 127 | 138 | 11 | 9% | |
| 47 | Asian Studies | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.8 | -0.0 | -5% | 128 | 122 | -6 | -4% | |
| 48 | European Studies | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 3% | 283 | 332 | 49 | 17% | |
| 49 | Celtic Studies | 0.2 | *** 0 | 0.1 | -0.1 | -50% | 11 | 3 | -8 | -71% | |
| 50 | English Language and Literature | 13.9 | 12.1 | 13.8 | -0.0 | -0% | 969 | 1,102 | 133 | 14% | |
| 51 | French | 5.9 | 4.3 | 5.5 | -0.4 | -7% | 406 | 388 | -17 | -4% | |
| 52 | German, Dutch and Scandinavian Languages | 3.6 | 2.7 | 3.4 | -0.2 | -6% | 241 | 243 | 2 | 0% | |
| 53 | Italian | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0% | 78 | 91 | 13 | 17% | |
| 54 | Russian, Slavonic and East European Languages | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.3 | -0.0 | -7% | 98 | 94 | -3 | -3% | |
| 55 | Iberian and Latin American Languages | 2.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | -0.0 | -4% | 160 | 156 | -4 | -2% | |
| 56 | Linguistics | 3.3 | 2.6 | 3.2 | -0.0 | -3% | 269 | 236 | -32 | -12% | |
| 57 | Classics and Ancient History | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.6 | -0.1 | -3% | 250 | 283 | 33 | 13% | |
| 58 | Archaeology | 3.5 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 0.6 | 17% | 277 | 349 | 72 | 26% | |
| 59 | History | 16.6 | 15.1 | 16.7 | 0.0 | 0% | 1,255 | 1,361 | 107 | 9% | |
| 60 | History of Art, Architecture and Design | 3.3 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0.3 | 9% | 306 | 345 | 39 | 13% | |
| 61 | Library and Information Management | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 8% | 89 | 128 | 40 | 45% | |
| 62 | Philosophy | 5.2 | 4.1 | 5.0 | -0.2 | -4% | 360 | 378 | 18 | 5% | |
| 63 | Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 10% | 257 | 312 | 55 | 21% | |
| 64 | Art and Design | 8.4 | 16.3 | 11.4 | 3.0 | 36% | 804 | 1,145 | 341 | 42% | |
| 65 | Communication, Cultural and Media Studies | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 20% | 143 | 204 | 60 | 42% | |
| 66 | Drama, Dance and the Performing Arts | 1.8 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 28% | 166 | 217 | 50 | 30% | |
| 67 | Music | 3.3 | 5.6 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 27% | 251 | 380 | 129 | 51% | |
| 68 | Education | 27.6 | 22.6 | 26.9 | -0.7 | -3% | 2,048 | 2,062 | 14 | 0% | |
| 69 | Sports related subjects | 1.2 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 33% | 118 | 156 | 37 | 32% | |
| Total | 600.0 | 634.0 | 634.0 | 34.0 | 6% | 39,064 | 41,074 | 2,010 | 5% | ||
* Volume in submissions rated 1 in the 1992 RAE have been omitted.
** Volume in submissions rated 1 or 2 in the 1996 RAE have been omitted.
*** £35K
NOTE: These figures are provisional and are subject to further decisions by the Board. The 1997-98 quanta have been scaled down to £634M to exclude the £50M transfer from the research component of the formula capital funds. The moderated quanta contain additions to particular Units of Assessment for reimbursement of animal licence fees. These additions are not present in the unmoderated quanta.