Reconfiguration and collaboration
The Reconfiguration and Collaboration Fund was launched in July 2002 to support the reshaping of the higher education (HE) sector in Wales in order to achieve major performance gains and enhanced competitiveness.
A large number of landscape changing bids have received support from the fund including institutional mergers and partnerships, collaborative research institutes, National Research Centres and other developments such as the Centre for Welsh Medium Higher Education. However, as a result of the discontinuation of Reaching Higher funding following the 2011-12 Welsh Government budget, the Reconfiguration and Collaboration Fund has not been in a position to support new developments in 2011. In September 2011, Circular W11/35HE was issued notifying institutions of the closure of the fund to new proposals.
The fund has supported many partnerships across Wales. The first phase supported the merger of Cardiff University and the University of Wales College of Medicine, and a number of feasibility studies. Subsequent phases have helped develop a range of collaborative projects and were essential to enable the merger of University of Wales, Lampeter and Trinity University College, Carmarthen. The new university, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, received its royal charter on 21 July 2010.
Despite the closure of the fund to new proposals, a number of ongoing developments continue to be supported under the third phase including: the Low Carbon Research Institute; the Biosciences, Environment and Agriculture Alliance between Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities; the Research Institute of Visual Computing; and the Climate Change Consortium for Wales. The following link provides details of all applications considered, including partnerships supported and applications not progressed. Further information on the achievements of the fund are provided below.
Funding of £14.3 million was provided to fund the merger of University of Wales, Lampeter and Trinity University College, Carmarthen. The new institution, University of Wales Trinity Saint David builds on the excellence of the parent institutions to create a sustainable future for the provision of higher education in south-west Wales. The University has already made significant strides in developing a new range of vocational courses and engaging with local business, communities and the not-for-profit sector in the area.
Merger of Cardiff University and the University of Wales, College of MedicineFunding of £15 million was provided to assist with the merger of Cardiff University and the University of Wales College of Medicine. The merger successfully took place in 2004, with the merged institution becoming one of the ten largest in the UK. An independent evaluation of both the merger process and the subsequent progress towards the goals for the merged institution highlighted the success of the merger process, as well as the growth in research funding awarded to the University since the merger. A further independent evaluation of the impact of the merger in 2010 examined the outcomes of the merger and lessons for future merger developments.
Terminated Merger Discussions between the University of Glamorgan and University of Wales Institute, CardiffFollowing the termination of merger discussions between the University of Glamorgan and University of Wales Institute, Cardiff in 2003, a review was undertaken by GAELWa the ELWa audit service. The following link provides access to the report of this review.
Welsh Medium Scholarships and FellowshipsThe fund has provided up to £2.9 million to establish a Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme and expand an existing Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship Scheme in order to increase the Welsh medium teaching capacity of the sector. The pan-Wales schemes will develop new Welsh Medium lecturing talent and teaching material. The schemes are administered through the Welsh Medium Teaching Development Centre.
The report of an independent interim evaluation of these schemes.Lessons learned
In addition to the evaluation of completed projects, information on the lessons learned from ongoing projects will be published as this becomes available.
The following documents provide information on the previous arrangements for the operation of the fund:Circular W09/32HE: Reconfiguration and Collaboration informed institutions of amendments to the application procedures and assessment processes for proposals to the Reconfiguration and Collaboration Fund and Strategic Development Fund, which were to operate from September 2009 until September 2011.
Circular W04/48HE: Reconfiguration and Collaboration described the basis on which the Reconfiguration and Collaboration operated in its second phase, from 2004/05 until September 2009.
