THES reporters look at how departments prepared for and responded to last week's research assessments.
STUDY OF RELIGIONS: BATH COLLEGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
1992 rating: 2
1996 rating: 4
"TO refuse funding to departments who only get 2s in the Research Assessment Exercise, we believe, would in effect be short-sighted," said David Timms, assistant director at the Bath College of Higher Education.
His college's expanding department for the study of religions, which was awarded a 2 in the 1992 research assessments, has leapt to a rating of 4, with its work in East Asian religions specially flagged by the panel, writes Julia Hinde.
Dr Timms said: "The money given four years ago was relatively small, but it was important in providing the impetus for people to get their foot on to the research ladder. The same amount of money in a larger institution would not have had such a great effect."
According to Dr Timms, the 1992 assessment generated around Pounds 600,000 annually from the Higher Education Funding Council for research at the college. At just over 11 per cent of its annual budget, Dr Timms believes Bath did well among the former public sector colleges at attracting research money.
The money awarded was divided between the assessed departments in proportion to how each faired in the assessment exercise. Not every department at Bath was entered into the assessment either this time or in 1992.
The sum awarded to the department for the study of religions has been sufficient to employ a new full-time research fellow on top of the three full-time staff members who divide their time between teaching and research.
The new addition to the department, who, according to Dr Timms, is fairly experienced with numerous publications to his name, was previously at King's College in London.
The department, which teaches more than 200 undergraduate students, shares three further teaching staff with the college's education department. It also supervises seven PhD students who, like the department's staff, concentrate their research activities on the development of new-age religions.
The growth of these religions in Bath, a city which Dr Timms says has a reputation for such activity, forms one area of study for the department, which is establishing an archive of contemporary religious artefacts.
Another area is the changing face of religion globally in the 19th and 20th centuries, notably the part played by traditionally non-European religions in transforming beliefs in Britain. Dr Timms said: "The department is looking at the effect of Japanese, Indian and New World religions and how they impact on patterns of British belief."