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HEFCE review of research policy and funding 1999: overview

In 1999 HEFCE undertook a fundamental review of its research policy and funding. The review was overseen by a steering group chaired by Sir Brian Fender, then chief executive of HEFCE. Detailed work was carried out by five sub-groups. The sub-groups covered the following areas:

  • The role of selectivity and the characteristics of excellence
    Chair: Sir Martin Harris
    Terms of reference
  • The nature and purpose of HEFCE funding
    Chair: Sir Brian Fender
    Terms of reference
  • The role of quality assurance and evaluation
    Chair: Sir Gareth Roberts
    Terms of reference
  • The relationship between teaching, research and the other outputs of higher education institutions
    Chair: Sir Howard Newby
    Terms of reference
    • Relationship between teaching, research and other outputs of HEIs: final report
      [ Word 584K |Zipped Word 128K |Adobe PDF 243K ]
    • Annex in Excel - not yet available
  • Human resource management, equal opportunities, research training and other 'people-related' issues.

Lists of membership of the five sub-groups

The review used several means to engage with HEIs, learned societies, industry and other users, and other stakeholders, including:

  • a call for evidence issued in September 1999
  • meetings with a variety of stakeholder groups. List of stakeholder meetings.
  • a number of regional seminars to ensure that views in the sector, and more widely, were captured in an open forum.

Commissioned research

Further empirical support was provided by commissioned research studies in the following areas:

  • assessment and the changing nature of research
  • how the Research Assessment Exercise has changed the research base
  • international approaches to research policy and funding
  • regionality
  • collaborative approaches to research
  • the role of selectivity and the characteristics of excellence
  • the interface between teaching, research and other activities
  • SPRU international approaches to assessment
  • non-bibliometric indicators of research outcomes identified in the 1996 RAE

The outcomes of the commissioned research studies are available to download below.

Report/Annex Word Format Zipped Word PDF
Collaborative Approaches to Research [1.12MB] [602K] [816K]
International Approaches to Assessment [290K] [93K] [251K]
International Approaches to Research Policy and Funding [1.2MB] [347K] [400K]
Impact of the Research Assessment Exercise [1MB] [379K] [641K]
Regionality [148K] [42K] [184K]
Annex A [1MB] [921K] [552K
Interactions between research, teaching, and other academic activities [210K] [60K] [243K]
Annex A [80K] [23K] [75K]
Annex B [165K] [42K] [114K]
Annex C [226K] [54K] [248K]
Annex D [190K] [54K] [169K]
Annex E [86K] [18K] [55K]
Annex F [51K] [12K] [31K]
Annex G [88K] [27K] [71K]
The Role of Selectivity and the Characteristics of Excellence [972K] [415K] [830K]

Other reports directly referenced in the consultation document include:

Last updated 15 August 2003