Plans to concentrate more research in fewer universities have been attacked

After being criticised for its controversial plans to concentrate research in fewer universities, the government has announced a "research forum" to examine future research policy.

This forum will bring together representatives of both the government and the universities - and is intended as a "sounding board" for future policy on research.

The announcement also promises "further announcements on the way forward" in the new year, following discussion with the research forum.

The setting up of the forum was welcomed by the universities' organisation, Universities UK, as an opportunity to "voice concerns about the direction of research policy".

The plans in the White Paper on higher education to push funding towards fewer and more concentrated research centres, taking on larger projects, were attacked by many university leaders.

'Sounding board'

There were claims that this would divide universities into a two-tier system, with a divide between research and teaching universities, and would damage much research in smaller and newer institutions.

The forum will provide a way of debating how research funding should be developed.

The Department for Education and Skills says it will consider "research reform and promote dialogue on the key issues of the link between teaching and research, and developing greater research collaboration".

The chairman of the research forum will be Sir Graeme Davies, vice-chancellor of the University of London.

"The forum will strengthen the dialogue between the key players and help us in our commitment to ensuring that the different parts of government involved in university research work closely together," said higher education minister, Alan Johnson.

Science Minister Lord Sainsbury said that universities could not be "complacent" about the research base in British universities and that it had to be "sustainable in the longer term".

"But, we believe that the dual support system provides the most effective basis for government funding of university research across all disciplines.

"The two funding streams - the research council grants for projects and the block funding from the funding bodies - complement and enhance each other and, with the changes we propose, provide the right foundation for continuation of the UK's tradition of research excellence," the minister said.