154 buzz February/March 2015 Painting a picture 2 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S VIEW NEWS AND EVENTS Vice-Chancellor’s view Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir David Eastwood Most people over Christmas either a cruel and unusual punishment! (Quality Research Funding). As a mode eat too much or drink too much. Research Assessment has loomed of distributing research funding it is In my case I probably had too much large in my own academic career. As extraordinarily cost-effective. The total cost of Research Assessment. a historian I was involved in the RAEs of the 2008 RAE, for example, including As well as the results of the UK Research from 1989, the first of the modern style the costs borne by institutions amounted Excellence Framework (REF) in late Research Assessments. After both the to about 0.6% of the funding that was December, in the first week of January 1996 and 2001 RAEs I was a member distributed over the RAE cycle. No other I was in Hong Kong dealing with the final of the committees which reviewed and mechanism for distributing research funding stages of their Research Assessment to some extent reshaped the RAEs. is anything like as cost-effective as this. Exercise (RAE). Results of this will be In 2006 I prevented the abolition of the Nobody suggests that the REF is published by the end of the month. RAE, and with it the dual support system, unproblematic, nor that it cannot be Dealing with two research assessments and in 2008 as Chief Executive of the reformed and refined. It is, however, a in the space of three weeks is probably Funding Council I ran the RAE. necessary part of the research funding I am not so naïve as to believe that the and evaluation landscape and critical RAE or REF should be loved; it is, however, to the future of the dual support system. important that research assessment is The dual support system, which divides YOUR BUZZ understood. the public funding of research between The genesis of Research Assessment the Funding Councils and the Research Next edition 1 April 2015 in the 1980s was an attempt to create the Councils has produced a research base Copy deadline 6 March 2015 evidence base which would prevent the in UK universities which is more cost- then Thatcher government from dramatically effective than any competitor system. Contact us reducing research funding to universities. Given this success, it is one of the [email protected] In this the RAEs were extraordinarily peculiarities of the British that we keep Buzz online successful. Funding was stabilised in re-examining it! When Alan Langlands buzz.bham.ac.uk the 1980s and early 1990s and, under took over from me as Chief Executive New Labour, the RAEs played a key role of the Funding Council I said to him that Follow us on Twitter in making the case for a doubling of he would have to defend dual support twitter.com/buzzunibham investment in the research base. Without every two months. When Alan retired Find us on Facebook the evidence of the RAEs there is no doubt from the Funding Council he said publicly facebook.com/buzzunibham that the sustained increase in research that I had misled him, and that he had to investment which we saw in the first decade defend it every two weeks! We would save of the century would not have happened. a great deal of time and column inches There is a price to pay for the public if we simply accepted that this is a system funding of research, and a very legitimate that works well and focused on making Edited by Rebecca Vowles concern on the part of government that it work still better. [email protected] universities should be accountable for the We should, therefore, anticipate a very substantial investment which the public REF around 2020 and the planning for Your details makes in research in universities. The RAE this begins now. Please let us know if you want extra is part of this accountability mechanism. At Birmingham we are embarked on a copies of Buzz or if you think we need It is also part of the way in which the ten-year strategy to transform our research to amend your distribution details. sector makes the case to government performance. This was always an avowedly for research funding. To achieve this the two-REF cycle strategy. In December Views expressed in the magazine are exercise has, from time to time, to be we had the results of the 2014 REF. not necessarily those of the University reshaped. For example, in 2008/9 the There were some stunning successes. or a statement of University policy. Treasury insisted that the next Research On sheer quality our School of History All submissions may be subject to Assessment (the REF of 2014) had a is the best in the country. The results in editing. The Editor’s decision is final. mechanism for measuring research impact. Philosophy, Theology and Religion, Sport Without this, dual support again would have Exercise, and Psychology were stunning. collapsed. Impact case studies were the The transformation in quality of outputs in mechanism through which we met that Biosciences was remarkable. The School Front cover image: Christopher Mills, Treasury requirement. of Education has re-established itself as Technical Assistant at the Barber The REF also serves a critical purpose one of the leading centres for Education Institute of Fine Arts in determining the distribution of QR Research in the UK. All colleges had VICE-CHANCELLOR’S VIEW NEWS AND EVENTS 3 results which were outstanding in some to recruit outstanding individuals and groups, The Edward Cadbury units of assessment or parts of them. to invest in the areas of excellence which Lectures 2015 Taken overall the University held already thrive in the University, and to station in this REF. The percentage of continue to enhance the research as well as The School of Philosophy, Theology 4* publication, though significantly higher the educational environment of the University. and Religion is pleased to invite all than in 2008, was disappointing. When Alongside these investments there will staff, students, alumni and members we analysed the overall results, the need to be important reconfigurations. of the public to this year’s Cadbury University is enormously strong in 3* Work is well-advanced in MDS to develop Lecture series between 16–21 March. research and needs, as a matter of a structure which will build on the The theme is ‘God Over All’ and priority, to translate a significant portion recommendations of the Life Sciences includes a series of lectures by of that 3* into 4* research for 2020. Review. I sense very considerable Professor William Lane Craig, Research We also did not score as well as we excitement in MDS, and a confidence Professor of Philosophy at Talbot should have done in impact. Chemical that the new structures will enable us to School of Theology and Professor Engineering had a stunning result with deliver still greater research excellence. of Philosophy at Houston Baptist 100 per cent of its impact at 4*. Elsewhere Similar reconfigurations will take place University. The events are free and open we probably told the story of our research within some other colleges. to all but registration is required as a impact in ways which were less compelling This is not simply restructuring for limited number of seats are available. or less well evidenced than they might restructuring’s sake, but a way of enhancing have been. This, too, is an area that we our ability to compete at the highest level. Learn more www.birmingham.ac.uk/ will need to strengthen for REF 2020. We know from the experience in the cadburylectures In evaluating the REF 2014 results we College of Arts and Law that restructuring should note that in terms of the quality works and can deliver outstanding results of outputs, the REF is a judgement on in short order. the position of the University in 2012/13. Our research ambition is not, and must As far as impact case studies are not, simply be focused on the REF of 2020. Dates for the diary concerned, much of this reflects research We have a parallel strategy to enhance our Vice-Chancellor’s Open Forum which was undertaken in the University research grant income which should see Wednesday 11 February in the previous decade. In short, there are us with research grant income in excess of 12.30–1.30pm, Elgar Concert Hall important lags here, and the University £160m by 2016. No one should mistake the Bramall Music Building is more strongly placed now than it was central purpose of our research strategy. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir at the REF census date. This is not about chasing rankings, it is not David Eastwood, will be interviewed Nevertheless, the REF tells a story of about enhancing our league table position. by the BBC’s award-winning Education the leading half dozen universities pulling It is designed, rather, to do two things. Correspondent Sean Coughlan, away from the rest of the pack. This reflects It is designed to enhance our position on key issues facing the higher the results of the concentration of research and reputation as a leading centre for education sector and the University. funding and the particular advantages research, as a place of discovery and All staff are encouraged to attend that the leading universities in London research translation, and as a university and will have the opportunity to ask and the ‘Golden Triangle’ have enjoyed.