HEFCE: Here to help

THES reports on a £50 million emergency fund launched by HEFCE to help fight the economic downturn. The fund is designed to create new opportunities for academics who are keen to work with local businesses to to help them survive the credit crunch through practical projects.

Hugh Tollyfield, HEFCE's special advisor on employer engagement, cited the example of 'how institutions situated near the factories of steel manufacturer Corus, which recently announced massive job cutes because of the slump, might attract ECIF cash. "They might offer short courses to people who have been made redundant so they have better prospects in the job market, or they might look at opportunities for improving processes (such as steel production)"'.

Read the THES article in full.
Visit the HEFCE website to find out more.

STEM Programme opened up to consultation

After being chosen by HEFCE to host the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programme, a consultation process has begun which will allow you to have your say in how England paves the way for the future of STEM centred Higher Education.

Key issues are:

• Structuring the National Programme effectively so that it may deliver on a national scale


• The benefits the National Programme could offer to you and your organisation and how it may best achieve these


• Effective practices upon which it may build

Consultation will take place online in addition to regional consultations. These regional consultations will take place on:

9th February - Botanical Gardens, Birmingham
12th February - Hallam Conference Centre, London

17th February - Hewlett-Packard Labs, Bristol
19th February - University of Bradford

Visit the STEM Programme website for more information.

HEFCE appoints new Chief Executive

Sir Alan Langlands, currently the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England. He will take up post on 1 April 2009.

The current Chief Executive, Professor David Eastwood, is to become Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham.

Read more on the HEFCE website.

Evolution of REF continues

In response to the HEFCE consultation, two modifications are being made to the REF implementation plans:

1)The timetable for designing the new framework will be extended by 12 months.

2) The methodological differences between how science-based/non science-based subjects are assessed will be removed. All subjects will be assessed using a combination of metrics-based indicators (including bibliometrics) and input from expert panels.

The REF will be introduced after the 2008 RAE.

Biosciences Federation response to HEFCE consultation

Official statement on HEFCE website

RAE decision rationale to be destroyed

THES is reporting that the panels assessing academics' work as part of the RAE have been instructed to destroy all records of how decisions have been made. The move has been motivated by the desire to avoid post-RAE challenges to decisions through freedom of information or data protection laws. One panel member is quoted as saying, '"It is for own our good. The process could become an absolute nightmare if departmental heads or institutions chose to challenge the panels and this information was available"'.

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=401501

HEFCE annual conference underway

The 2008 HEFCE conference taking place between 7-8 April is now underway and proceedings can be followed online at the conference blog. The proceedings include a Q&A from the opening keynote with HEFCE's Chief Executive David Eastwood, a new take on TV's Dragon's Den and a session on 'student learning through technology'.

http://hefce2008.wordpress.com/

REF to cause reshuffle?

Research undertaken by Cranfield University suggests that the new Research Excellence Framework could cause significant hierachial changes to the order currently generated from the Research Assessment Exercise.

The research council funded exercise took all research submissions for the 2001 RAE and determined citation counts using the methodologies laid out in the REF consultation. The study found that there is a good correlation in six out of 28 subjects, but 13 have a weak correlation and 9 showed no correlation at all. Individual universities' performance was examined in two science subjects (chemistry and a branch of engineering) and large differences were found.

In the in depth chemistry analysis, University of Surrey and Swansea University dropped dramatically, where as Northumbria University showed a great improvement.

HEFCE has dismissed the study and a spokesman is quoted by THES as saying, "It only takes into account only four publications per researcher; it makes no allowance for variation in citation between sub-disciplines; and it presents the outcomes as summary grades rather than quality profiles."