How will the Augar Review impact science research funding in universities? Lords to ask Universities UK and UCL Provost
On Tuesday 4th June, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will question the Provost of UCL and the former Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University as part of its ongoing inquiry to assess the impact of potential changes in funding on the ability of universities to conduct high-quality scientific research. The Committee will also question representatives from Universities UK and the British Academy.
The Augar Review into Post-18 Education and Funding has recommended the cap on tuition fees to be lowered to £7,500 from 2021-22. The Committee will have the opportunity to question the witnesses on what impact this recommendation could have on university finances and the amount of quality research institutions are able to undertake.
The evidence session will begin at 10:30am in Committee Room 4a of the House of Lords. The witnesses are:
- Professor Michael Arthur, Provost UCL
- Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Chair of Cancer Research UK, former VC of Cambridge
The second session will begin at 11:30am and the witnesses are:
- Professor Julia Buckingham CBE, Universities UK
- Professor Roger Kain CBE FBA, British Academy
Other questions likely to be asked include:
- To what extent does the level of public funding affect the amount of non-public funding universities can attract?
- What are the implications of lower QR funding as a proportion of Research Council funding and does this impact the type of research undertaken?
- Do difficulties in getting basic equipment and infrastructure funded affect universities' ability to attract collaborations and outside investment?
