A Case Study of Selective Funding of Research in the United Kingdom Through Assessment of Some University Indicators (1990/91 to 1992/93). AIR 1997 Annual Forum Paper.

This study examined the allocation of government research grants to universities in the United Kingdom in the context of the current funding system which distributes such grants based on universities' performance in the marketplace. Marketplace performance indicators include academic staff and postgraduate student counts, grants from Research Councils, income from contracts with industry, donations, and research ratings. Research grant data were analyzed to determine if the allocation of research grants reflected the performance indicators outlined in the funding methodology. A multiple regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between indicators and allocation of grants in the academic years 1990-91, 1991-92, and 1992-93. The results showed that the funding formula was used to allocate research grants to the 50 long-established United Kingdom universities with a large coefficient of multiple determination in the three years examined. A large proportion of grants were explained by the performance indicators: 73.1 percent in 1990-91, 80.9 percent in 1991-92, and 86.2 percent in 1992-93. (Contains 45 references.) (JLS)