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It is part of a new policy briefing by MillionPlus, the group of modern universities, which argues against what it claims is a “hyper-concentration” of resources in large research-intensive institutions. Just three universities receive a quarter of the total QR funding, the briefing finds.

“By and large, historic reputation has been taken as an indicator of future success, and a protection of the status quo has reigned supreme,” argues the briefing, released on 8 September.

The tussle between MillionPlus and the Russell Group is part of a wider debate over how research funding should be distributed across universities. Earlier this year, a report by the consultancy Digital Science and the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex argued that concentration of funds into “elite” universities risks leaving a country unable to seize on emerging areas of research.

However, Germany, for example, has since 2006 poured extra money into a few select universities to boost them to the top of the global research league.

david.matthews@tesglobal.com

Source: Is Science and Research Funding in Higher Education Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century?