Funding for ‘anchor institutions’, technical skills and small and specialist institutions

26 Sep 2014 04:37 PM

HEFCE is announcing three dedicated calls for bids to the Catalyst Fund, in line with its own and government priorities. The Catalyst Fund enables HEFCE to deliver its strategic aims for higher education in research, teaching and knowledge exchange. These calls for expressions of interest cover three specific areas. 

Universities as anchors

This area focuses on projects to extend our understanding of this role played by universities. We want projects which enhance the nature, range and value of this important role to institutions and deepen our understanding and available evidence. This includes institutions’ part in securing investment and talent for their localities, and positioning themselves in local economic growth plans.

Supporting technical education

This call focuses on demonstrating higher education’s potential to meet the needs arising from the UK’s advanced economy, by supporting innovative activity that will develop technical education in higher education, and thus supporting national industrial strategy. This will address concerns that the higher education system is insufficiently geared towards providing the technical skills needed by businesses (particularly at intermediate levels), and that some graduates are not employed in roles commensurate with their knowledge and skills.

Innovative knowledge exchange in small, specialist institutions

This call is focused on information about innovative knowledge exchange (KE) developments of small, specialist institutions (that do not currently benefit from KE formula funding through the Higher Education Innovation Fund) to build evidence to inform future policy and funding for knowledge exchange

Higher education institutions and further education colleges are invited to submit expressions of interest by noon on Thursday 6 November 2014.