The UK’s largest physical sciences funding agency has announced a big policy shakeup which will concentrate research money in areas of ‘national importance’. This new direction, which the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) describes as ‘shaping capability’, will squeeze certain chemistry sub-disciplines in favour of others and limit the role of peer review in funding decisions.
I am a freelance science writer specialising in physics, astronomy, science funding and research policy. I write for a variety of online and print journals. In my day job, I work as a Research Facilitator in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford.
Research council to pick favourites to receive UK chemistry funding – Chemistry World
July 27th, 2011
REF looks to help academics who take a career break – Chemistry World
July 20th, 2011
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) has released it guidelines detailing how universities will be assessed in the upcoming Research Excellence Framework (REF), which will help to determine how much funding institutes receive. In the Assessment Framework and Guidance on Submission for the 2014 REF, the funding councils have outlined the final criteria and specific data and narratives required for submissions. The new guidance also aims to encourage universities to place more value on researchers who have taken a career break or returned to academia from industry.
Higher education cuts hit home – Chemistry World
February 8th, 2011
Universities in England will lose £940 million in funding in the next financial year with severe cuts to capital budgets and teaching.
University leaders have learned the full extent of the austerity ahead for the higher education sector as the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) announced cuts to budgets from April 2011.
In the next financial year, £4339 million will be allocated to universities for teaching representing a further reduction of £180 million (4 per cent). The research budget will also be cut by £17.4 million (1.1 per cent) in the coming financial year and this reduced funding will be allocated more selectively. In practice, this means that research rated 2* – internationally recognised in terms of originality, significance and rigour – will not receive ‘quality related’ funding from Hefce.
Universities get £9000 fees option – Chemistry World
November 4th, 2010
The UK government has announced today that university students in England will face tuition fees of up to £9000 per year.
Science minister David Willetts presented the new plan for student finance, which will see tuition fees at all universities rise to at least £6000, with an option for universities to charge up to £9000 per year. Those that decide to charge more than the £6000 minimum will face tougher conditions on widening participation and fair access. A new £150 million national scholarship programme will be launched in conjunction with the rise in fees to encourage bright students from poor backgrounds to apply for university.
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