AHRB: The Early Years

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Herbert
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Research Council ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Higher Education Funding ◽  
Arts And Humanities ◽  
The Arts ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Government ◽  
Funding Council

The call for a separate Research Council for humanities was initially met with unfavourable comment. Although the government eventually announced support for the creation of such a research council, it was only after lengthy deliberations that the Dearing Report recommendations were finally granted, hence creating the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). This chapter discusses the early years of the AHRC. During these years, the funding of the ARHC was under the prerogative of the Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE). The Funding Council was then initiating new models of funding institutions of higher education and the AHRC was generally given less funding. This neglect of the funding of AHRC discouraged humanities scholars to entail directed research. In 1998, the British Academy through Tony Wrigley asked for additional funds from the HEFCE. Upon the commencement of its official existence, the AHRC with its first chief executive Paul Langford prepared the new Board, planned the creation of the research awards department, and planned the integration of the postgraduate awards section in the British Academy within the overall structure of the new organisation. This new organisation was driven by the goal to improve the breadth and depth of the knowledge and understanding of human culture in the past and in the present and thereby enhance the quality of life and the creative output of the nation.

Board to Council

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Herbert
Keyword(s):  
Research Council ◽  
The Core ◽  
Arts And Humanities ◽  
Strategic Initiatives ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Public Body ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Research Councils

The AHRB was given the core responsibility to produce 12,000 active arts and humanities researches over the UK. As of 1998, the Board had made over 4000 awards involving over 5000 researches. Across the UK, in the institutions of the government and the academy, several have been engaged with the AHRB and were actively committed to the fulfilment of the AHRB as a true Research Council. In 2005, the Arts and Humanities Research Council achieved its desired transformation after having built an impressive array of assets. This chapter discusses the transformation of the Arts and Humanities Research Board to a Research Council. In the process of the transformation of the Board, several changes were made. Among of these are the transition of the charitable status of the board and the transition of the AHRB's assets and obligations in to the new Non-Deparmental Public Body (NDPB). It also meant that the now AHRC must provide multi-year funding and the creation of strategic initiatives that would support intellectual urgency. The integration of the AHRC within the Research Councils also meant the restoration of arts and humanities to the circle of serious sciences and knowledge.

In Due Course: The Government Decides

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Herbert
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Research Council ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Arts And Humanities ◽  
Steering Group ◽  
Slow Progress ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk

This chapter discusses how the government agreed to the commitment of establishing an Arts and Humanities Research Council. Following the achievement, aspiration, and resistance in the early years of the AHRB, Margaret Hodge, who was the Minister of Lifelong Learning and Higher Education in the UK Department of Education and Skills, formulated a Review of Arts and Humanities Research Funding. This review was carried out on behalf of the Ministers responsible for the higher education in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. The review aimed to recommend how to enhance support for arts and humanities, including how to encourage government support on such relevant issues. Of the 117 responses from the formal consultations, 114 – 97 per cent – agreed to the need for an organisation dedicated to arts and humanities. The review was subjected to the deliberations and considerations of the Steering Group. The report made by the group was eventually given to the Education Ministers. The Report of the Steering Group lauded the AHRB which despite its provisional start and status made contributions to society and the sciences. Whilst the government made slow progress on the approval of the creation of the AHRB, in January 22, 2003 the government approved the establishment of an Arts and Humanities Research Council which according to the government should be a fully functioning and statutory research council by 2005.

At the Point of a Larger Conflict

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Herbert
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Research Council ◽  
White Paper ◽  
House Of Commons ◽  
Arts And Humanities ◽  
The Arts ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Research Councils ◽  
Struggle For Recognition

This chapter discusses the existence of support for the AHRB during its struggle for recognition and acceptance. In January 22, 2003, the White Paper on the Future of Higher Education created uproar. This furore over the White Paper was due to concerns over the government's proposal to allow universities to raise fees and to provide deferred loans by which the students might meet those charges. The uproar was also heightened by the government's declared intention to concentrate on research funding. Amidst the din over the AHRB's establishment and the government's intention of giving research funds to research councils, the AHRB found immense support from various groups. Iain Gray, Scotland's Minister For Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, expressed support for the creation of the AHRB. The same warm response to the White Paper and to the prospect of the creation of the AHRB was also expressed by the RCUK Strategy Group which emphasized the importance of arts and humanities as equal to those of engineering, science, and technology. The same response was also accorded by the House of Commons. In addition to the positive responses to the proposal of creating a humanities research council, UK government and political officials were beginning to include the White Paper recommendations into their debates. By mid-summer, widespread support for the AHRB was garnered and on January 27 2004, a second reading of the Higher Education Bill approved the creation of the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

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