Key Points
- The British Academy has released a report calling for a wider conversation about the outcomes of the UK's dual support research system.
- The report argues that the current funding model requires trade-offs to sustain itself in the face of new financial realities.
- The academy is questioning the use of cross-subsidy to fund research and whether it is fair and consistent with the purposes of universities.
The UK's Dual-Support Research System in Crisis
The UK's dual-support research system is facing difficult choices and trade-offs to sustain itself in the face of new financial realities. The British Academy has released a report calling for a wider conversation about the outcomes of the system, which it argues requires trade-offs to sustain itself.
The report argues that the current funding model puts research outcomes at the mercy of wider factors such as tuition fee income, international recruitment, and regulation of institutions. It also questions the use of cross-subsidy to fund research and whether it is fair and consistent with the purposes of universities.
The academy is calling for policymakers to determine what balance to strike between international competitiveness, the development of emerging excellence, and the maintenance of research capacity across institutions, disciplines, and places.
At a Glance
| British Academy | The British Academy Author of the report |
| Higher Ground | Higher Ground Initiative to reimagine the future of higher education and research |
| Dual-Support Research System | Dual-Support Research System Current funding model for research in the UK |
| Margot Finn | Margot Finn Vice-President of Higher Education and Research Policy at the British Academy |
Behind the Headlines: What the Report Really Says
Behind the Headlines: What the Report Really Says
The report identifies several trade-offs that the sector must consider, including whether to concentrate public funding for research in places with established records of excellence or spread it more widely to boost regional innovation and create opportunities for new expertise to develop over time.
It also questions the current model of cross-subsidy, where income used to cover the costs of research is also used to improve teaching, student support, staff conditions, or institutional resilience.
The academy is calling for policymakers to consider whether relying on cross-subsidy is fair and consistent with the purposes of universities and whether more research funding should be devolved to support responsiveness and legitimacy within each nation.
What Next for the UK's Research Funding Model?
What Next for the UK's Research Funding Model?
The British Academy's report highlights the need for policymakers to consider the long-term, coherent vision for the future of universities and to ask the difficult questions and trade-offs that have been avoided for decades.
The academy is calling for a sector-wide, holistic view of the higher education and research system and for policymakers to take insights from across disciplines and systems to open up bold new possibilities for the future of universities.
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