UKRI-3566 – RESEARCH ENGLAND STRATEGIC INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH FUNDING (SIRF) IMPACT EVALUATION

UKRI and Research England are seeking suppliers for the design and delivery of an evaluation of the impact of Research England’s £2.35bn (approx.) of annual formula-related research funding provided to eligible English higher education providers (HEPs), referred to as strategic institutional research funding (SIRF). The majority of Research England’s SIRF is delivered to HEPs as un-hypothecated block grants, that HEPs may spend on their own priorities, so long as these relate to the activities that Research England are empowered to fund: research, knowledge exchange and related activities. An evaluation of the impact of Research England’s SIRF will contribute significantly to the delivery of a wider review Research England are conducting on our SIRF and contribute to the wider evidence base on the effectiveness and value of Research England’s formula research funding. This evidence will then support any decisions Research England makes about the future direction of our funding policy and contribute to future Research England evidence submissions to government spending reviews, ensuring we understand the value and impact of this funding. Research England are looking for suppliers to design and deliver this evaluation within an approximate 12–13-month period. Providers should be able to demonstrate experience and familiarity with following:

• Theory-based evaluative methods
• The UK government’s central guidance on evaluation (Magenta Book)
• Producing Theory of Change models
• Evaluation of research impact and outcomes In addition, the SIRF impact evaluation should provide:
• Outreach and engagement of the evaluation to both the research and higher education sectors
• Evidence towards a wider review of Research England’s SIRF
• A theory of change for model for the impact and outcome of RE’s SIRF
• Evidence on the value and impact of Research England’s SIRF that will help inform future UK government spending reviews. Please refer to the two reference documents:
• Part 1: The Invitation (this document) which provides information about SIRF Impact Evaluation.
• Part 2: The Questionnaire You are invited to respond to the questionnaire which should be completed by the closing date of noon Wednesday 3rd January 2024. In addition, an online market engagement explanatory event will be held on Thursday 11th January 2024 from 2pm to 3pm, which will be open to all respondents of Part 2: The Questionnaire. To register for the webinar: ukri.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_… ↗ During the event, UKRI and RE will present the SIRF Impact Evaluation project as it is currently envisioned, provide an explanation of the questionnaire, and hold a Q&A session. You are welcome to submit questions in advance via the Delta Portal Message Centre. Additional information: Please refer to the two reference documents:
• Part 1: The Invitation (this document) which provides information about SIRF Impact Evaluation.
• Part 2: The Questionnaire