JOINT PRESS RELEASE FROM DENI/NIHEC, HEFCE, HEFCW AND SHEFC

1 JUNE 1998

To News Editors, Education and Science Correspondents

RESEARCH ASSESSMENT EXERCISE CONFIRMED FOR 2001

The UK higher education funding bodies1 today announced that the next Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) will be held in 2001. The announcement follows consultation with the sector which revealed overwhelming support for the RAE as the best method of assessing research quality.

The exercise will be broadly similar to the 1996 RAE2: it will cover the whole of the United Kingdom; be based on peer review; and will produce quality ratings which will be used to inform research funding decisions from 2002-03 onwards.

The consultation highlighted a number of areas for improvement, a number for further consultation. Decisions to date include the following:

FEEDBACK: assessment panels will produce feedback on the submissions in two forms: a report on the subject area which will be made public, and confidential feedback to institutions on their own performance;

INTERDISCIPLINARY AND COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: there will be further consultation on the best method of assessing interdisciplinary or collaborative research; ·

PANEL MEMBERSHIP: changes will be made to the way in which chairs and members of panels are appointed, to reduce the risk of bias and improve transparency. These changes will include the nomination of incoming chairs of assessment panels by the entire outgoing panel and the publication of nominating bodies as well as the names of all panel members;

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE: there will be a requirement that panels must consult a group of corresponding researchers from outside the UK before awarding the top ratings to any submission, to take account of the international dimension.

The funding bodies will jointly publish a full report of decisions later this month, together with a summary of responses and further questions.

1 June 1998

ENQUIRIES TO:

John Coote	DENI/NIHEC	Tel: 01247 279333
Philip Walker	HEFCE	Tel: 0117 931 7363
Ann Hughes	HEFCW	Tel: 01222 682221
Morag Campbell	SHEFC	Tel: 0131 313 6567

NOTES TO EDITORS

The four UK funding bodies are: the Department of Education Northern Ireland (DENI, which acts on the advice of the Northern Ireland Higher Education Council, NIHEC); the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE); the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW); and the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC).
The Research Assessment Exercise is based on peer review using a method which has been developed and refined over a 10 year period. In 1996 there were 60 assessment panels, covering 69 subject areas (units of assessment). The purpose of the exercise is to produce ratings which are used by the Higher Education Funding Councils in England, Scotland and Wales as well as the Department of Education for Northern Ireland to allocate grants for research in higher education institutions.
Copies of the document 1996 Research Assessment Exercise: The Outcome, priced £15.00, can be obtained from the Publications Unit, Higher Education Funding Council for England, Northavon House, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QD. The RAE results are also available on disk priced £10.00. Orders of under £50 should be accompanied by a cheque.

Judith Evans
Clerk to the Council/Communications Officer
Direct line: 0131 313 6562;
Fax: 0131 313 6501
E-mail: jevans@shefc.ac.uk

Scottish Higher Education Funding Council,
Donaldson House,
97 Haymarket Terrace,
Edinburgh
EH12 5HD

Website: http://www.shefc.ac.uk/

Last updated