January - March 2011

In September 2011 QAA will launch a new process for reviewing academic quality and standards in higher education institutions in England and Northern Ireland. The process is called Institutional review and replaces the current method, Institutional audit.

This consultation proposes changes to the allocation method for the research degree programme supervision fund from 2012-13 and invites comments on those proposals.

Catch up with the latest news from UKCGE.

As part of Universities Week 2011 (13-19 June), Research Councils UK (RCUK) and Universities UK (UUK) are seeking submissions for ‘Big Ideas for the Future’.

Research Councils UK (RCUK) is delighted to welcome the new £100 million investment in research facilities announced by the Chancellor George Osborne during his budget.

HEFCE will shortly be launching a consultation on their allocation method for postgraduate research funding from 2012-13.

Home Office acknowledge concerns expressed by UUK in evidence submitted to its committee.

Research Councils UK (RCUK) has published a new report detailing plans to drive efficiency in research funding.

HEFCE has announced funding totalling £662 million for capital investment to support teaching and research in 128 higher education institutions and 124 further education colleges. The announcement covers allocations for teaching for 2011-12 and 2012-13, and for research from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

Professor Rick Rylance, Chief Executive of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) has been elected as the new Chair of Research Councils UK (RCUK) Executive Group. Professor Rylance will take up the post on 1st July 2011.

Universities are facing a significant period of transition in the next few years, with reductions in public funding, and a move to a new student finance and funding regime from 2012. However, they do so from a sound financial position, according to the Higher Education funding Council for England, which published a review of their finances.

The four UK higher education funding bodies have today announced how they will recognise and reward excellent research that has led to wider social and economic benefits. The publication, 'Decisions on assessing research impact', confirms how much weighting the assessment of research impacts will have in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF).

UKCGE is working with the Research Information Network (RIN) to promote good practice in developing research skills for research students. Please read on to find out how to get involved.

RCUK welcome the effort and thought that has gone into understanding the need to encourage the best researchers from around the world to come and work in the UK. The new system introduced by the UK Border Agency combines rigour and responsibility with flexibility.

Based on discussions and researches that have taken place to date, QAA intends to publish a document defining the characteristics of doctoral study in the UK which will complement the Masters degree characteristics document already published.

The Higher Education Academy (HEA) will be outlining the importance of supporting research and scholarly activity in further education at the Higher Education in Further Education (HE in FE) Conference in London.

The entrepreneurial skills of the UK's graduates are set to be better supported by universities following the formation of a new group aiming to establish guidance for educators working with students to develop their flair for enterprise.

Universities UK has welcomed the raising of international student immigration during Prime Minister's Questions.

HEPI Report (51) Higher Education Supply and Demand to 2020 has been published.

Research Councils UK (RCUK) have made significant progress in meeting the needs of user communities since the last User Satisfaction Survey was conducted in 2007.

HEFCE announced the main decisions made by the Board at its meeting on 28 January on the provisional distribution of funding to universities and colleges in 2011-12. These decisions were taken in the light of the grant letter of 20 December 2010 from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Details of the approach taken by the Board and its decisions are contained in 'Funding for universities and colleges for 2010-11 and 2011-12' (HEFCE Circular letter 05/2011).

The Higher Education Academy (HEA) has published a valuable resource to support HEIs as they work to provide tailored higher education to learners already in the workplace.

Research Councils UK (RCUK) announce the outcomes of a review led by Professor Alison Hodge MBE to consider the progress made in implementing the recommendations which related to researchers skills and career development made by Sir Gareth Roberts in his ‘SET for Success’ report in 2002.