How research at Russell Group universities benefits UK
World-class university research is an invaluable resource supporting the growth of knowledge-intensive businesses in the UK and worldwide. There is strong evidence that considerable benefits have flowed to the economy from sustained public investment in excellent research.
Russell Group universities are highly effective and successful in the commercial exploitation of their research. Academics at Russell Group institutions more likely to take out patents, licensed their research to a company or formed a spin-out than academics at other UK institutions.
There is a wealth of instances where original research undertaken at Russell Group universities has led to significant- and surprising - economic returns. For example, while studying alligators as part of research into correcting cleft palates, a professor at the University of Manchester made the accidental discovery that alligator embryos could advance thinking on scar healing.
Recognise world-class centres
The future system for assessing research quality should recognise and reward centres with world-class capability, the Russell Group has urged.
Responding to the consultation on the proposed Research Excellence Framework (REF) to measure the quality of research, the Russell Group which represents the 20 leading universities in the UK has proposed several changes in the way it should operate, all designed to reinforce this emphasis on the highest quality work. The REF will replace the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) as a basis for funding which amounts to £1.6 billion (for England) in the current year.
The Russell Group response points out that the government’s own Framework for Higher Education “Higher Ambitions” recognises that in a climate of scare resources public investment must be focused on strengthening research centres with world-class capability and that this should mean more concentration of research and resources.
Russell Group responds to REF consultation
Concentrate research funding to support excellence
Research funding needs to support excellence in research. This key principle has driven the success of UK research and will continue to be key to the UK’s success in the future – enabling world-class research to flourish and supporting the UK’s leading research base.
World-class universities, with their heavy concentration of brainpower, established excellence, and the sheer numbers and facilities to achieve global impact, are best placed to attract investment in innovation by leading global companies. We need this investment to flow to the United Kingdom, and we have to ensure that Britain retains world-class universities who are international partners of choice and able to attract the best students and academics from all over the world.
The Russell Group has produced a paper outlining how concentrating research drives excellence and enables the UK to compete globally.
Concentration of research funding