Home > UGC Activities > Research > Research Assessment Exercise > Documents on Previous RAEs > Letter from Chairman, UGC to Heads of UGC-funded institutions on RAE 1999 (22.1.1999) > Letter dated 22 January 1999 from the UGC Chairman to Heads of UGC-funded Institutions regarding the Research Assessment Exercise 1999

Letter dated 22 January 1999 from the UGC Chairman to Heads of UGC-funded Institutions regarding the Research Assessment Exercise 1999

  1. I am writing to advise you of the formal launch and arrangements for the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 1999, and to call for the submission of the necessary documentation.

  1. During 1998, my Committee has consulted widely on the principles, scope and format for RAE 1999 on the basis of a Consultation Document covering draft Guidance Notes issued in July 1998. Following the issue of these documents, we have received many helpful comments from individuals, groups, units/departments in the UGC-funded institutions, government departments/policy bureaux, and other academic, professional and business organisations which have an interest in research in Hong Kong. In August 1998, my Committee, advised by its Quality Sub-Committee, considered carefully all the comments then received and, as a result, a revised version of the draft Guidance Notes was issued in early December 1998. At my Committee's meeting earlier this month, we decided, in the light of further comments received since August 1998, to further refine the draft Guidance Notes. Enclosed at Annex A are the final Guidance Notes for RAE 1999. This document is also accessible from the Virtual Library of the UGC web at http://www.ugc.edu.hk.

  1. You will note from the Guidance Notes at Annex A that the number of RAE panels has been increased from 8 to 12. There will also be some regrouping of cost centres under the 12 panels as set out in Annex B. In coming to these decisions, my Committee has taken into account the size and special nature of some disciplines in Hong Kong and/or more generally, as well as the need for cross fertilisation and calibration in the assessment process. Particularly having regard to the latter considerations, it is envisaged that there will be some cross membership between some panels. There will also be a number of workshops held involving panel members and other colleagues in Hong Kong in the relevant disciplines (see below).

  1. You will note from the Guidance Notes at Annex A that the size of the panels will be expanded by the involvement of more local and overseas colleagues, including suitable lay members who we hope will be able to help assess both traditional and non-traditional research output items. In this connection, I should be grateful if you and colleagues in your institution would put forward names and contact details of potential candidates, local or overseas, in or outside academia, who may be suitable to be appointed as panel members for RAE 1999. Nominations should reach the UGC Secretariat before 1 March 1999. Please do not approach the nominees yourselves. My Committee will consider the nominations very carefully and will approach the nominees in due course.

  1. A timetable for the implementation of RAE 1999 is at Annex C. You will note that a number of workshops (details in Annex D) are scheduled to provide opportunities for colleagues and panelists to discuss and understand the purpose, principles and operational details of the exercise. The February workshops will be principally held for colleagues in the specified cost centres, but colleagues may choose to attend any workshop, depending on their other commitments. Because of limits on the seating capacity of the venues, particularly the first workshop to be held on 8 February, institutions expecting more than 50 of their colleagues to participate in a workshop are requested to check on availaibilty of seats with Miss Janice Yam (Tel: 2844 9948) of the UGC Secretariat.

  1. I should be grateful if you would ensure that the necessary documents required are properly completed in accordance with the Guidance Notes and returned to the UGC Secretariat promptly in accordance with the specified timetable. Table 2, the list of the institution's staff eligble for assessment in RAE 1999, should be submitted by 15 March 1999. The Research Strategy Statement, Tables 1 and 3 together with sufficient supporting documents requested in paragraphs 20, 39 and 41 should be submitted by 30 April 1999. The templates for all the various forms have been mounted on the UGC web to facilitate their reproduction and distribution within the institutions.

  1. For enquiries about the Guidance Notes and arrangements for RAE 1999, please contact either Mrs Elsa Lau, Assistant Secretary-General (Research) at 2524 3971 or Miss Janice Yam, Coordinator RAE99 at 2844 9948.



Yours sincerely,
(Edgar W K Cheng)
Chairman
University Grants Committee



Encl.

Annex B

Changes to RAE Panels

RAE Panel 1996 New Panel for RAE 1999
Biology & Life Science Biology
  Health Sciences
Engineering & Information Technology Electrical & Electronic Engineering
  Computer Science/Information Technology
Construction & Other Technologies Engineering
  Built Environment
Business & Professional Studies Law
  Business Studies & Economics

Changes in the mapping of Cost Centres to RAE Panels

Cost Centre Formerly under Now transferred to
No. Name    
1 clinical medicine Biology & Life Sciences Health Sciences
2 clinical dentistry
3 clinical vet studies
4 nursing
5 other para-medical
7 pre-clinical studies
33 comp studies/science (incl. IT) Engineering & Information Technology Computer Science / Information Technology
25 civil engineering Engineering Built Environment
27 architecture
28 building technology
29 planning
30 surveying, land
31 surveying, other
34 law Business & Professional Studies Law
40 economics Social Sciences & Education Business Studies & Economics


Annex C

Timetable for Implementation of RAE 1999
(position as at 19 January 1999)

    January 1999 UGC approved the RAE Guidance Notes and the launch of RAE 1999

    Mid-January 1999 Issue of finalised RAE Guidance Notes

    Mid-January 1999 onwards Formation of RAE panels

    8 - 9 February 1999 RAE workshops before institutions' academic staff forward their RAE submissions to the UGC

    15 March 1999 Submission of Table 2 for each cost centre

    30 April 1999 RAE Submissions received from institutions:

      - Research Strategy Statement

      - Table 1 for each cost centre

      - Table 3 for each individual cited in Table 2 who wishes to make a submission

    August 1999 Progress report submitted to the UGC

    September 1999 RAE workshop for panels and guidelines for panels issued afterwards

    October/early RAE panels in action

    November 1999

    Mid November 1999 Submission of Panel Reports

    December 1999 Results analysed and submitted to the UGC for preliminary consideration

    April 2000 Final RAE findings accepted by the UGC



Annex D

RAE Workshops in February 1999

Date Time Venue Participants (from cost centres mapped to the following RAE panels)*
8 Feb 1999 10:00 am - 12 noon Wei Hing Theatre, The City University of Hong Kong 1 Biology Panel
2 Health Sciences Panel
3 Physical Sciences Panel
6 Engineering Panel
9 Feb 1999 10:00 am - 12 noon Academic Community Hall, The Hong Kong Baptist University 4 Electrical & Electronic Engineering Panel
5 Computer Science / Information Technology Panel
7 Built Environment Panel
8 Business Studies & Economics Panel
9 Law Panel
10 Social Sciences & Education Panel
11 Humanities Panel
12 Creative Arts, Performing Arts & Design Panel

* see Appendix G to the RAE Guidance Notes for the make-up of the RAE panels