Moves for stability

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has introduced measures to promote stability next year and support top research in the long-term.

It has phased in changes in research allocations resulting from the recent research assessment exercise and introduced a new sliding scale of "moderating" funding so that overall changes in grant should mean cuts are not too severe next year for any institution.

But both these measures will eventually be phased out, with the council determined to give research its full due in future years.