University Delighted With Research Funding
5 March 2009
Peter Baker, one of the researchers at the University.
We’re delighted with the University’s results from this latest Research Assessment Exercise. The research we do here is all designed to enhance the teaching for our students
”Professor Michael Gunn, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning, Teaching and Scholarship)
The University of Derby is to receive more than £500,000 to support its research following the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) conducted by the national funding body Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
It’s a major boost for Derby. The University will receive quality-based funding for the first time. The current allocation is a reward for conducting ‘internationally recognised’, ‘internationally excellent’ and ‘world class’ research in each of the areas returned.
Nationally, HEFCE has allocated £1,572m to UK universities for research purposes – as part of a £8bn investment in higher education in England to secure future prosperity for 2009 and 2010. Derby receives £548,000 of this provision.
As part of the overall £8bn investment, Derby receives a total overall recurrent grant of more than £41m (£41,254,000) to cover teaching and research and other areas including the Higher Education Innovation Fund.
This is a 4.7% increase on last year’s funding total from HEFCE.
Vice-Chancellor Professor John Coyne said: “Our funding for next year gives us an uplift that will keep the University’s recent significant progress firmly on track.
“We are doing great work and taking innovative steps to improve further. The funding for research is a real boost and does credit to our small but high impact research teams.”
In relation to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, Derby submitted four ‘units’ – the work of groups of researchers – to HEFCE for assessment in the areas of Biological Sciences, Psychology, Art and Design; and Communication, Cultural and Media Studies.
Following the assessment, HEFCE announced Derby had ‘internationally recognised’, ‘internationally excellent’ and ‘world class research’. It assessed research activity at all 159 UK universities and the rating of past research projects directly affects how much future funding universities receive.
Professor Michael Gunn, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning, Teaching and Scholarship), said: “Today more than 50% of our research activity overall has been classed as being ‘internationally recognised’. In 2001, very little of it would have achieved that classification.
“We’re delighted with the University’s results from this latest Research Assessment Exercise. The research we do here is all designed to enhance the teaching for our students.”
Each of the 47 Derby researchers involved had four projects assessed, which had to have been published by December 2007.
Well over half of the University’s research activity was ranked by HEFCE as ‘internationally recognised’, ‘internationally excellent’ and some even as ‘world class’. For each of the four Derby ‘units’ assessed, different aspects of the research were graded from high to low; with 4* (four star) being the highest and ‘unclassified’ the lowest. (4* is ranked as ‘world class’, 3* as ‘internationally recognised’, 2* as ‘international excellence’ and 1* ‘national excellence’).
Examples of the types of research the University of Derby was assessed on can be found in its 2008 Research Review. It is sent to stakeholders, and research assessors and influencers. A copy can be viewed online at web page: www.derby.ac.uk/research-review.
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For more information about this news release, contact Deputy Head of Corporate Relations Simon Redfern on 01332 591942 or 07748 920038 or email: s.redfern@derby.ac.uk.
