The UK's international research performance remains strong despite challenges from European neighbours and specialist research economies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions.

The UK produces about 9 per cent of the world's papers and receives about 10 per cent of the world's citations. UK's research productivity and quality remains second only to the US. The UK’s universities have underpinned this success by maintaining excellent research and increasing UK's competitiveness and outputs.

Research Policy Committee

The Universities UK Research Policy Committee is the main policy making forum  in all matters relating to research, advising the organisation on its strategic direction in this area.

The Committee is chaired by Professor Eric Thomas, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, and has 20 members drawn from a wide range of universities across the UK.

Current activities and priorities for the RPC include:

• helping to shape the current research assessment and funding reforms taking place in the UK;
• taking a strategic overview, and monitoring the implementation of full economic costing;
• understanding and informing European research policy;
• exploring how international collaboration can be enhanced to the benefit of the UK;
• understanding and informing the revolution in scholarly communications;
• promoting sustainable research careers and training; and
• enhancing good research governance.

Research policy documents, reports and submissions

10 year science and innovation investment framework 2004-2014

• Universities UK response to 10 year science and innovation investment framework (2004)

Sainsbury review

• Universities UK submission to the Sainsbury review of science and innovation policies (2007).  

Research Excellence Framework

• Universities UK response to HEFCE consultation on the Research Excellence Framework (REF) (December 2009)
• Universities UK's response to the HEFCE consultation on Research Excellence Framework (February 2008)
• Universities UK's response to the DfES consultation on the reform of higher education research assessment and funding (October 2006) (Annex to the consultation response)
• Universities UK’s key principles on the future of research funding and assessment (October 2006)

Research Assessment Exercise 

• Universities UK submission to House of Commons Science and Technology Committee - Follow-up inquiry into the Research Assessment Exercise (April 2004)
• Universities UK response to joint consultation on the review of research assessment by Sir Gareth Reports (September 2003
• Key principles for Universities UK responses to RAE and dual support consultations (September 2003)

Research funding

• Universities UK updated report on funding research diversity (2007)
• Funding research diversity - the impact of further concentration on university research performance and regional capacity (summary report) (October 2003)
• Universities UK response to the sustainability of university research - a consultation on reforming parts of the dual support system  (September 2003)

Scholarly communications

• Universities UK position statement on Open Access to research publications (2005)

Strategically important and vulnerable subjects

• Universities UK submission to House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee inquiry - strategic science provision in English universities (January 2005)

Europe

• UPDATED- final guidance on adapting the Transparent Approach to costing (TRAC) for use with Framework Programme 7 (TRAC EC-FP7) (November 2008)
  • TRAC EC-FP7 Update March 2009
  • Note about the exclusion of irrecoverable duties from indirect costs - March 2009
  • European Commission TRAC EC-FP7 endorsement letter
  • Annex 1- Model form E December 2008
  • Annex 2- Irrecoverable VAT calculation example
  • Annex 3-FP7 additional audit procedures & QAV audit programme Part A
  • Annex 3-FP7 additional audit procedures & QAV audit programme Part B
  • Annex 4- Letter from DG Research
• European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers: A UK HE Sector Gap Analysis (2006)
• Study to identify the costs of EU framework programme projects to UK higher education institutions: A report by JM Consulting to Universities UK and HEFCE (2006)
• Executive Summary - Study to identify the costs of EU framework programme projects to UK higher education institutions: A report by JM Consulting to Universities UK and HEFCE
• Universities UK response to Commission staff working document - Simplification in the 7th Framework Programme (September 2005)
• Universities UK/UK Higher Education Europe Unit Statement on the 7th Framework Programme (May 2005)
• Final report of joint UKRO-UUK-JCPSG project on full economic costing and EU cost models (Spring 2005)
• Universities UK response to the Office of Science and Technology consultation on the 7th Framework Programme  (August 2004)

Research careers and training

• Universities UK submission to Professor Adrian Smith's post graduate review (December 2009)
• The Concordat to support the Career Development of Researchers (June 2008)
• Universities UK response to HEFCE consultation on Improving Standards in Postgraduate Research Degree Programmes  (September 2003)
• The Research Careers Initiative - final report (June 2003)

Research Councils

• Universities UK's response to the RCUK consultation on the efficiency and effectiveness of peer review (January 2006)

Research governance and ethics

• Joint Cancer Research UK and Universities UK Protocol on tobacco industry funding to universities  (February 2004)

Showcasing University research

• EurekaUK - showcasing research from UK universities over the last 50 years (August 2006)