We are responsible for funding, engaging with and understanding English higher education providers (HEPs).
Our work creates and sustains the conditions for a healthy and dynamic research and knowledge exchange system in the higher education sector.
Our vision
Our vision is for English HEPs to play a central role in the economy and society delivering world-class research with transformational real-world application, developing the skilled and talented workforce that modern research and development (R&D) intensive economy needs, and operating as major international players to enhance the UK’s global reach and influence.
Our mission
Our mission is to create and sustain the conditions for a healthy and dynamic research and knowledge exchange system in English HEPs.
We fund HEPs to deliver excellent research and high-performance knowledge exchange, unlocking potential, generating impact, and meeting national priorities and global challenges.
This includes a strong focus on support for innovative industrial developments and high value, strategic and agile formula funding streams such as:
- quality-related research funding underpinned by the Research Excellence Framework (REF)
- support for knowledge exchange via the Higher Education Innovation Fund.
We want to make the best use of taxpayers’ money by prioritising funding where we can get the best value and ensuring we deliver the government’s policy aims. We also make sure that HEPs are accountable for the money they get, but without creating an excessive burden on them.
Our stakeholders
We work with the higher education sector to understand its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges. We provide the core funding that unlocks the sector’s potential and creates impact and value from public investment in the research and innovation system.
We help universities to take the long term view of their priorities that is essential to strengthening our national research endeavour and enhance its significant contribution to the wider economy and society.
Our people
Senior Leadership Team
- Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Executive Chair
- Jacqui Dovey, Chief Operating Officer
- Alice Frost, Director of Knowledge Exchange
- Steven Hill, Director of Research
- Kim Hackett, Director of Insight and Engagement
Senior Management Team
- Bethany Adams, Associate Director of Knowledge Exchange Strategic Projects and Partnerships
- Ellen Bamford, Associate Director of Knowledge Exchange Data and Evidence
- Rebecca Fairbairn, Research Excellence Framework Director
- Andy Hepburn, Associate Director of Analysis
- Alex Herbert-Guest, Associate Director of Research
- Anna Lang, Associate Director of Research
- Jane McKenzie, Associate Director of Governance and Risk
- Daniel Moore, Associate Director of Insight and Engagement
- Kelly Pullin, Associate Director of Strategy and Planning
Senior leadership team declaration of interests
Last updated: 29 November 2024