The new chair of the Russell Group is urging the UK government to bring in ¡°sustainable¡± research funding and make the assessment system ¡°more agile¡±, as well as calling for stronger international research partnerships between the UK and growing powerhouses such as China.

Dame Nancy Rothwell, the University of Manchester vice-chancellor, who became chair of the group of 24 research-intensive universities in September, told Times Higher Education there was ¡°complete uncertainty¡± over international student numbers amid travel and visa disruption during the Covid-19 crisis, spotlighting the major issue of cross-subsidy for research funding from overseas fees.

Asked what key messages she has been stressing to the government in her new role, Dame Nancy said Russell Group institutions faced a ¡°potential struggle with international students¡± and were ¡°very worried about maintaining the research base¡±.

¡°They [ministers] are very aware of?that; they¡¯re very receptive to [that argument],¡± Dame Nancy said.

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¡°We absolutely want to contribute to the recovery, to building back better, to the British economy, to net zero, to levelling up ¨C these are all things the Russell Group feel we can really, really help with¡­We can make an even bigger contribution than we¡¯ve done previously.¡±

Asked what Russell Group universities would hope to see in the government¡¯s Comprehensive Spending Review, the autumn exercise that will set out spending plans for the next three years, Dame Nancy, a long-serving professor of physiology at Manchester, said the ¡°long-term sustainability of research is going to be key to the agenda¡±.

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That means addressing the cross-subsidy issue ¡°but also looking at international collaboration and partnerships as Brexit evolves¡± ¨C she has previously said Russell Group universities were ¡°making an assumption¡± that the UK will not join the European Union¡¯s next research programme, Horizon Europe ¨C plus ¡°identifying where UK research can really be a global leader ¨C and there are many areas where it can¡±.

Dame Nancy also called for a ¡°bit more agility and less bureaucracy¡± in the research funding system. The government recently announced a review aimed at reducing higher education¡¯s bureaucracy, including in research, while Dame Nancy has previously called for changes to the research excellence framework.

¡°There are ways we could do it that would be less intensive,¡± she said. ¡°For example, we could do random sampling without having to look at every single individual.¡±

On research funding, Dame Nancy said the Covid crisis ¡°has highlighted a long-standing issue: research has been funded at just over 70?per cent [of full cost], and that [remainder] has been cross-subsidised.

¡°And not just from international students, [but also] from residences, from philanthropy, from commercial, conferences ¨C all of which have declined; all those income streams are under threat. That has the potential for leaving a big hole in?research.¡±

That was ¡°well realised¡± in government and there are ¡°longer-term discussions ongoing as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review¡±, she added.

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She also called for the UK to strike research partnerships with nations such as the US, China and other Asian countries ¨C something that could become even more crucial if the UK does not join Horizon Europe.

¡°China has now become a real research powerhouse¡­There are many areas in which China is starting to outstrip the West,¡± Dame Nancy said. ¡°To not have a?partnership, I?think, would be a?mistake. Universities, research and students are incredibly important for soft diplomacy.¡±

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She added: ¡°We can¡¯t ignore China¡­we have to find ways to work with China.¡±

Of the Russell Group, Dame Nancy said it was ¡°not a formal alliance¡±. Instead, it focused on ¡°sharing experiences and looking at how we can do things collectively¡± ¨C but it ¡°does have the ear of government¡± through its universities¡¯ research power and national economic contribution, she added.

Many UK universities, including Manchester, have warned of potential job losses if the crisis brings further severe financial impacts ¨C with particular concern from unions about fixed-term contract staff not seeing their jobs renewed.

Does the crisis mean fewer academics working in UK universities?

¡°I hope we won¡¯t have a smaller academic workforce¡­Universities are preparing for the worst ¨C hopefully it won¡¯t happen ¨C and not taking on as many staff in the event we might see a?big loss of income,¡± Dame Nancy replied.

But the UK government is committed to a big increase in research funding ¡°and if, as we hope, British students and international students do come, I?don¡¯t see any reason for a reduction in the workforce in higher education,¡± she added.

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john.morgan@timeshighereducation.com