Universities in Aberdeen are going to lose nearly £2million in research funding next year in a move branded “madness on sticks”.
Yesterday’s announcement is part of a much-feared cut of £12.9million in funds available for university research across Scotland.
University leaders called it a “missed opportunity” to capitalise on world-leading results, confirmed by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) just two months ago.
Professor Peter Downes, convener of Universities Scotland called the situation “terribly disheartening”, adding: It’s very difficult not to feel like universities have become victims of their own success.”
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) said almost £700 million will be allocated for Scottish university research over the next three years to allow the country to continue to compete “at the highest level”.
Universities Scotland wants the cuts to be reconsidered. Aberdeen University is losing £1,560,000 while Robert Gordon University will see its share fall by £330,000.
The University of the Highland and Islands (UHI), which produced “stellar results” in the 2014 REF rocketing up the UK league tables for research performance, was rewarded with a “meagre” increase of £400,000.
UHI’s research included a project to protect Europe’s water from eutrophication, a form of pollution caused by too many nutrients.
The allocations follow changes to the way the main public grant for university research funding is calculated, aimed at making the process simpler and more transparent.
Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesman Liam McArthur said: “This will come as a shock to many in the education sector who were led to believe that research was a priority of the SNP government.
“With recent REF results showing the resounding success of Scottish universities, it is madness on sticks to be siphoning away this crucial funding.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are demonstrating our ongoing commitment to research by providing £282million through the Scottish Funding Council for 2015-16, building on increasing levels of funding since 2007.”