Arts and Humanities Research
Council
46. The Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB)
was created in 1998 following a recommendation in the 1997 Dearing
Report on UK higher education that a research council for the
arts and humanities be established.[102]
The Higher Education Act 2004 provides for the establishment of
an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), which is expected
to be established by April 2005.[103]
There are clearly areas of potential overlap in the remits of
ESRC and AHRC. Professor Diamond told us that AHRB and ESRC senior
officers already meet twice per year "to make sure that where
we do meet we are aligned and look forward in a way which is good
for the community".[104]
He also acknowledged the need to clarify the way in which ESRC
and AHRC will approach areas of mutual interest: "One of
the things we are likely to be doing over the next few months
is actually giving some key advice to groups and saying this is
what ESRC definitely does, this is what the AHRB definitely does
and this is an area in the middle. You must make a judgement as
to which Council you send it to. What we guarantee is that where
there is a need for us to get together as Councils to ensure proper
refereeing then we will so do".[105]
ESRC and the newly-established
Arts and Humanities Research Council must clarify their remits
in areas of potential overlap and communicate these to their research
communities at the earliest possible opportunity.
Harmonisation of administration
47. The quinquennial review of the Research Councils
in 2001 which led to the creation of RCUK identified opportunities
for harmonisation of the administrative functions of the various
Councils.[106]
In 2003-04 ESRC and EPSRC underwent a merger of their human resource
operations. This decision was taken on the basis of the co-location
of their staff in Polaris House in Swindon, the fact that neither
administered Research Institutes, and the similarity of staff
grading systems in the two Councils. The resulting human resources
group also took responsibility for oversight of a Joint Recruitment
Unit that services all the Swindon-based Councils. The merger
has already led to a reduction in staffing, has facilitated staff
mobility across the Councils and paves the way for continued cost
savings through further harmonisation of human resources functions
between the Councils. [107]
We welcome the steps taken so
far to harmonise the administrative functions of the Research
Councils. This topic will be considered in
more detail in our forthcoming Report on RCUK.
97 ESRC, Operating Plan 2004-05 Back
98
HC (2003-04) 133-I Back
99
Q 33 Back
100
Ev 36 Back
101
HC (2003-04) 133-I Back
102
The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, The Dearing
Report, Higher Education in a Learning Society, 1997 Back
103
Higher Education Act 2004 Back
104
Q 31 Back
105
Q 31 Back
106
http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/documents/#review Back
107
Staffing has been reduced by one Band 5, one Band 3 and one and
a half Band 4 posts. Back
