New research alliance for universities outside Russell Group

In the same week that the United Kingdom’s Labour government unveiled its much-anticipated 10-year “modern industrial strategy”, a new higher education alliance has been announced that will speak up for research-focused universities outside the Russell Group of 24 leading research universities.

The new collaboration, to be known as ResearchPlus, will initially involve 10 universities and include four constituent members of the University of London federation – Brunel, City St George’s, Royal Holloway, and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

The group will be formally launched at a parliamentary event in October and has been welcomed by the UK government’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, who described ResearchPlus as an opportunity to bring top talent together to “unlock new innovations that improve lives across our country”.

He said: “By strengthening collaboration between universities, industry and government, we can break down barriers to opportunity and work together to drive the economic growth that is central to the Government's Plan for Change.”

In a blog for the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) published on Thursday 26 June, the new “research-focused” university lobbying group stated: “We are a collaboration between UK research-focused universities with a common purpose – to advance economic growth, prosperity, and societal well-being for the benefit of the places where we are located and for the wider world.”

Regional gaps

However, a glaring weakness of the new research alliance is the low proportion of members from outside London and the South East of England, where a lot of the UK’s wealth is concentrated.

As well as the four University of London partner institutions, the universities of Essex and Sussex (which both have their campuses near London) are among the foundation members of ResearchPlus, as is the Open University, which has its headquarters in Milton Keynes.

The three other members are Keele University in the Midlands, Ulster University in Northern Ireland and Hull University, the only member in the industrial north.

There are no Scottish or Welsh members – unlike the Russell Group.

However, a spokesperson for ResearchPlus said: “Our intention is to grow the partnership with other leading research-focused universities.”

Dr Diana Beech, director of the Finsbury Institute at City St George’s, University of London (one of the initial members of ResearchPlus), told University World News: “While it’s true that the group is currently more concentrated in London and the South East, I see that as a starting point, not a limitation.

“What matters most is the clarity of purpose: ResearchPlus is focused on collaboration, civic impact and inclusive innovation – all of which align closely with the direction of travel under the new government.”

A ‘new type’ of research coalition

Beech claimed that the drivers behind ResearchPlus show a willingness “to experiment and adapt to the growing pressures on the sector, rather than standing still or appearing complacent with the status quo” and that “the time is right for a new type of research coalition – one that is agile and responsive and genuinely committed to delivering change”.

Beech compares the innovation to when she became chief executive of London Higher, tasked with speaking up for the higher education sector in the capital in 2020, telling University World News: “I faced a lot of scepticism that the organisation couldn't become impactful and that the Russell Group voice would always win out.

“Five years on, I like to think we proved that change can happen and that there is space for more voices that cut across outdated sectoral divisions.

“While the Russell Group represents some of the best research-intensive universities in the UK, it does not represent all of them and should not be the only voice of research and innovation in the sector.”

She said: “ResearchPlus is not a rival to any existing mission group; it’s a complement, and a necessary one to show the sector is responding as the world around us changes.”

Eight priority growth areas

There was no immediate comment from the Russell Group about the new research-focused group, but the announcement about the launch of ResearchPlus is well-timed, as it comes in the same week that the Labour government finally unveiled its modern industrial strategy.

It also comes in the same month the government announced a massive boost for research and innovation in its spending review for the next decade and beyond, with a funding package for science and technology rising to more than £22.5 billion (US$30.9 billion) a year by 2029, as University World News reported.

The new industrial strategy prioritises eight sectors for high growth – advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, creative industries, defence, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, and professional and business services.

Professor Conor Moss, dean of the College of Business, Technology and Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University (which is neither a member of the Russell Group nor the new ResearchPlus alliance), said in a post on LinkedIn that his university in South Yorkshire was standing ready for “deeper collaboration between academia, industry, and government” that the industrial strategy says it wants to see.

Moss said Sheffield Hallam's “research and taught portfolio is well aligned” with the government's plan for growth and that the university's applied research, civic partnerships, and commitment to regional impact “make us a key player in delivering the strategy’s goals”.

Sarah Stevens, director of strategy at the Russell Group, welcomed the government's commitment to growth and said: “It’s encouraging to see recognition of the critical role universities will play in delivering the strategy – commercialising R&D to generate new innovations and technologies, providing the pipeline of high-level skills for industry and acting as engines for place-based growth.

“We will be digesting the details of the plans in the coming days, but it’s welcome to see ambitions to increase both public and private investment in high-potential start-ups.”

She was also pleased to see “the intention to set out a long-term strategy for R&D, which balances basic curiosity-driven research with innovation”.

Nic Mitchell is a UK-based freelance journalist and PR consultant specialising in European and international higher education. He blogs at www.delacourcommunications.com.