Higher Education Innovation Funding 2011-15 consultation

The Government set out its intention to reform Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review in 2010. It then gave its view on reform in the HEFCE grant letter for 2011-12, and through the Government's allocation of science and research funding 2011-2015.

In February 2011 we announced the method for HEIF 2011-15 and opened a consultation on proposals to introduce a threshold allocation, also asking for advice on additional metrics that could be helpful in developing future allocation methods.

Overall, no clear consensus emerged among consultation responses regarding alternative approaches for the threshold or new, immediately implementable, metrics. However, many useful points were made regarding the challenges of identifying and incentivising the most effective higher education.

Therefore, as no consensus emerged, we have retained the model proposed in the consultation and confirmed the indicative allocations for 2011-12 that arise from it. Allocations for 2012-15 will be confirmed upon acceptance of the institutional strategy as set out in Higher Education Innovation Funding 2011-12 to 2014-15: Policy, final allocations and request for institutional strategies (HEFCE 2011/16).

Page last updated 25 October 2011