RSC responds to post-2008 research funding framework

In response to Higher Education Funding Council for England's (HEFCE) consultation on the assessment and funding of higher education research post-2008, the Royal Society of Chemistry ( RSC) has advised HEFCE that to win the confidence of the research community in the new system the Council should run a shadow exercise, the results of which are compared with the outcomes of the current research assessment exercise (RAE).  

The RSC remains uncertain as to why HEFCE proposes to divide the science-based disciplines into six main subject groups, arguing that under the current groupings chemistry is grouped with environmental science and physics, and its important interface with, for example, biology is missed. Similarly the physics-maths interface is not covered under the current groupings. Neither is the RSC convinced by the fairness of a purely bibliometrics-based funding system - one based on a statistical analysis of books and papers published.  

Other areas of the new framework that need clarification, according to the RSC, include: the number of papers that will be assessed for each individual; how long the publication period under review will be; and how citations of new staff and staff who have had a career break will be taken into account in the assessment process.  

The RSC stressed that whatever metrics-based system is introduced, it should incorporate peer review in any judgement of the quality of applied research. HEFCE will publish an analysis of the responses to the consultation in due course.

Teachers meet in Scotland

The 12th national meeting for chemistry teachers in Scotland will be held at the University of St Andrews on Friday 23 May 2008. Organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the University of St Andrews, this annual event aims to update teachers' knowledge of modern aspects of chemistry and new approaches to chemistry teaching in schools and colleges.  

The theme for this year's meeting is Fuelling Scotland's future, and will include a demonstration lecture by John Kilcoyne (University of Sunderland), and talks on carbon capture and modern drug development. Participants will be able to find out about new resources, and share ideas for best practice in the classroom.  

For further information contact Dr Nigel Botting at the University of St Andrews. 

Non-specialist teachers

The new summer term programme of Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)-GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) courses (see Educ. Chem., 2007, 44(5), 132) aimed at non-specialist chemistry teachers is available on the RSC Chemnonspec website.