http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5735-5764
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Abstract
This paper explores one key aspect of marketisation in English universities, the quality-related research funding (QR) system, which central government in the United Kingdom uses to allocate funds to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), based on a system of reviewing and rating the ‘quality’ of research at different HEIs. Specifically, it focuses on the experiences of 30 members of academic staff from eight universities across England who were engaged in research and/or scholarly activity in the broad field of Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HESD), during the time leading up to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) submission period. Interviewees were asked to talk about their experiences of being a HESD researcher/scholar within the context of the QR system and their perceptions of the relationship between the QR system and interdisciplinary, sustainability, pedagogic and HESD research. Findings from the semi-structured interviews and resulting qualitative analysis, reveal a number of obstacles facing HESD researchers which are outlined and explored in the paper. Strategies and rationale for improving the quality, reputation and ultimately, the ‘REF-ability’ of HESD research are discussed, and highlight the complex interface between marketisation and sustainability in higher education.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1 Over the time that tuition fees have been progressively increased, the direct teaching block grant to HEIs from central government has been progressively reduced, meaning that tuition fees have become an increasingly large proportion of HEIs’ income, hence why competition for students has increased.
2 The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of HE providers in England, which has four main stated aims, to: help students get into and succeed in HE; help students stay informed about their HE choices; make sure that students get a high-quality education that prepares them for the future; and, protect students’ interests and deliver value for money for students (OfS Citation2018, 1).
3 Research impact agenda: In the 2014 REF exercise, measurement of ‘research impact’ – defined as: ‘…an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia’ (HEFCE Citation2016, 1) – was incorporated alongside measures of ‘research outputs’ and ‘research environment’ for the first time (replacing the previous measure of ‘research esteem’).
4 An embedded case study is one where the overall case contains multiple embedded subunits of analysis, whereas a holistic case study is a more comprehensive entity which is not carved up into subunits (Yin Citation2003).
5 The People and Planet Green League, now known as the People and Planet ‘University League’, is the only UK-based publicly available league table which rates and compares all HEIs based upon the same selection of sustainability-related performance criteria. For this doctoral study, HEIs scoring either a 2:1 or 1st class award overall and either two or three out of three on the ‘Education and Learning’ criteria, were selected.
6 REF Research Star Ratings: 4* and 3* research are classed as ‘world-leading’ and ‘internationally-excellent’ respectively. 2* research, which no longer receives funding as part of the REF, is classed as ‘recognised internationally’. 1* research is ‘recognised nationally’ and there is also an ‘unclassified’ category.
7 Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) is ‘…a UK-based international learned society concerned to advance understanding of higher education, especially through the insights, perspectives and knowledge offered by systematic research and scholarship (SRHE undated, 1).