Research Assessment Exercise, interdisciplinary research and support for scholarship
Chapter 5 Section 2

Recommendations: 33, 34 (part), 32

Recommendation 33:

We recommend to the Funding Bodies that, in the interests of transparency and applying international standards properly, the practice of including one or more international members in all Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) panels, wherever possible, should be introduced to the next RAE.

Recommendation 34 (part):

We recommend:

  • to the Funding Bodies that the next Research Assessment Exercise is amended to encourage institutions to make strategic decisions about whether to enter departments for the Exercise or whether to seek a lower level of non-competitive funding to support research and scholarship which underpins teaching.

5.3 On 12 November 1997 the HE funding bodies issued a consultation document on the future of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) covering the purposes, principles and scope of the Exercise as well as the process and means for assessing research. The document invited views on the Dearing Committee’s recommendation that one or more international members should be included on all panels and on the separate recommendation that institutions should be encouraged to make strategic decisions about whether or not to enter departments for the Exercise. The funding bodies have invited comments by 13 March. Following consideration of the responses, they may issue a more detailed consultation document later this year. Without wishing to preempt the outcome of their consideration of the responses, the Government would like to see a process for assessing the quality of research which enhances quality and innovation and which is open to a greater number of influences than peer review, drawing on research expertise from outside UK universities where this is appropriate and can be done in a cost effective way.

Recommendation 32:

We recommend that the Funding Bodies and the Research Councils commission a study to evaluate the funding of interdisciplinary research, including the incentives and disincentives. The report should be ready to inform the next Research Assessment Exercise.

5.4 The Government welcomes the discussion that is taking place through the Science and Engineering Base Co-ordinating Committee between the HE funding bodies and the Research Councils on how best to take forward the Committee’s recommendation for a study of the funding of interdisciplinary research; and the parallel consideration by the funding bodies of how to assess such work as part of their consultation on the RAE.

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