Research Assessment Exercise. The process of assessing the quality of research for funding purposes. The RAE is carried out every few years by the four UK funding bodies. The most recent RAE took place in 2001.

Research Assessment Exercise (next due 2006, but possibly 2007 or 2008)

see Research Assessment Exercise

Research Assessment Exercise. The RAE assesses the quality of research in universities and colleges in the UK every four to five years since the scheme began in 1986. Its main purpose is to enable the FE funding bodies to distribute public funds for research selectively on the basis of quality. Institutions conducting the best research receive a larger proportion of the available grant so that the infrastructure for the top level of research in the UK is protected and developed. The RAE provides quality ratings for research across all disciplines. Panels use a standard scale to award a rating for each submission. Ratings range from 1 to 5*, according to how much of the work is judged to reach national or international levels of excellence. FE institutions which take part receive grants from one of the four FE funding bodies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The continuation of the system is currently under review. http://www.rae.ac.uk

The Research Assessment Exercise, conducted periodically to assess the quality of UK research and to inform the selective distribution of public funds for research by the four UK higher education funding bodies. The next RAE will take place in 2007-08. Results for the University of Manchester in the 2001 RAE can be found on our website at http://www.manchester.ac.uk/research/about/rae/.