HEFCE Annual Conference Royal Holloway, University of London 1 and 2 April 2009 Tim Melville-Ross Chair

1.The 2008 RAE 2.Research issues going forward 3.The recurrent grants 4.Learning and teaching 5.Knowledge transfer 6.Future funding 7.Growth and ASNs 8.Widening participation 9.Employer engagement 10. STEM 11. Capital funding 12. Regulation 13. HEFCE’s role 14. Taking the planning process forward. Current issues

UK research remains at the forefront in the world… 17% submitted activity assessed as world leading (4*) 37% assessed as internationally excellent (3*) 9% of submissions contained at least 50% 3* and 4* with the rest internationally recognised. The 2008 RAE (1)

Strength across the sector… 150 of 159 HEIs have at least 5% world leading research in at least one of their submissions …as well as in depth… 24 institutions have at least 40% of research activity in 3* or 4* in all of their submissions. The 2008 RAE (2)

£7,994 million available for Overall cash increase of 4% £4,782 million teaching funding, up 2.5% Total research funding of £1,572 million, up 7.7% Reduction in special funding from £411 million in to £316 million in Recurrent grants

‘HEFCE provides QR research funding to English universities. The CSR07 allocations are: £1,444 million in ; £1,509 million in ; and £1,634 million in The figures are indicative and will be finalised in early 2010’ Future funding David Lammy, House of Commons, 16 March 2009

£99.4 million allocated to support infrastructure developments 10,700 new co-funded places for ; 15,900 for Average rate of employer co-funding in just over 30% 60 lead universities and FE colleges delivering co-funded provision Economic Challenge Investment Fund launched, £50 million – half from HEFCE. Employer engagement

STEM subjects £350 million six year demand raising and capacity building programme Additional £25 million per annum continues for very high cost laboratory subjects Signs of success in accepted UCAS applicants in compared to : – Physics and chemistry both increased by 3.2% – Maths increased by 8.3% – Engineering increased by 8.5%

Key issues The importance of having an intermediary body Maintaining the autonomy of the sector Managing change in an age of uncertainty