Calls from four leading research universities for a superleague of selectively funded institutions have met with cynicism from the funding council and the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals.
Vice chancellors and provosts of the universities of Cambridge, Warwick, Edinburgh, and University College London have called for the creation of a premier league of institutions or departments who would get a bigger slice of funds.
Central to their argument was an attack on the research assessment exercise. Sir Stewart Sutherland, principal of Edinburgh University, said that the RAE "had run its race". If current policies were maintained, the four claimed, the quality of higher education would be destroyed and Britain's economy would flounder.
A spokesman for the Higher Education Funding Council said: "Our policy remains the same - we will fund research excellence wherever it occurs and we will not focus on just a few institutions."
The CVCP said: "Much would be lost if research funding was to be restricted to a limited number of universities. The assessment exercise shows the quality of research is well placed to continue supporting the economy."
A spokesman for one institution said the proclamation was a publicity stunt to smooth the way to the introduction of tuition fees at the top institutions.
LSE spokesman Iain Crawford said: "LSE has always discussed tuition fees openly while others have sat quietly behind us waiting to see if we can get away with it."