Research Assessment and Funding
- Departments
- Policy
- Programme status
- Ongoing
- Programmes
- Research and Innovation
Our research assessment and funding policy work advocates for a sustainable, prosperous research ecosystem for the SHAPE disciplines, which delivers maximum value for the UK. Through a series of distinct projects, analyses and reports, the Academy is building an evidence-base for the SHAPE community and policymakers. This evidence base, alongside the expertise of our Fellowship, is used to make the case for a research assessment and funding environment which supports a healthy and diverse research base, inclusive of all disciplines. This is advocated through engagement with policymakers and in formal consultation responses and calls for evidence.
Across this work, the Academy seeks to provide answers to key questions on behalf of the SHAPE community and policy stakeholders. These include: How far do the UK’s current systems of measuring research impact reflect the true value of SHAPE research? How can the SHAPE disciplines guide place-based policy, including approaches to research funding, and how does this impact the success of local innovation and R&D? What role do dual-support allocations of research funding play in supporting SHAPE research?
Research impact
The SHAPE of Research Impact
The British Academy and the Academy of Social Sciences commissioned comprehensive research on the impact of SHAPE disciplines, providing insights into the impact case studies submitted to the most recent research assessment exercise in the UK (REF2021) and providing a new typology for SHAPE research impact.
Recurrent funding
Recurrent Research Funding Across the United Kingdom
This briefing paper reflects on the value of recurrent research funding to institutions in the UK and the differences in its allocation across the four nations, highlighting the importance of this funding to SHAPE disciplines.
Place-based funding
Place-based Approaches to Research Funding
The British Academy investigated the role of the SHAPE disciplines in place-based policy making in order to generate a better understanding of how these disciplines impact and are impacted by the localities in which they are taught and researched.
Research assessment
13 September 2024: The British Academy response to REF2029 People, Culture and Environment Indicators Survey
6 May 2022: The British Academy response to the consultation on the design of the UK's future research assessment programme
17 March 2017: The British Academy responds to the Consultation on the second Research Excellence Framework
March 2016: The British Academy responds to Lord Stern's review of the Research Excellence Framework
1 December 2014: The British Academy responds to HEFCE survey on internationalising the REF
30 June 2014: The British Academy responds to HEFCE's consultation on the role of metrics in research assessment
25 March 2013: The British Academy response to HEFCE on open access and submission to REF post-2014
Knowledge Exchange Framework
13 March 2019: The British Academy's submission to the Knowledge Exchange Framework
30 January 2018: The British Academy responds to the call to submit evidence to the Knowledge Exchange Framework metrics technical advisory group
Research funding applications
This page contains information on the British Academy’s policy work on research assessment and funding. For more information on the Academy’s funding opportunities and their status, please visit our dedicated section on available funding schemes.