Evaluation of the Joint Infrastructure Fund

For immediate release: 6 November 2003

A summary evaluation of the Joint Infrastructure Fund (JIF) is published today which provides an insight into the mechanics and success of the largest injection of funds into UK science research facilities in more than 40 years.

The JIF was launched in 1998 and ran for two years with five rounds of funding, totalling £750 million. Funding for JIF came from the Wellcome Trust, the DTI and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The fund supported research infrastructure including research equipment, new buildings and refurbishment of laboratory or research-related space. Following on from the success of JIF, the Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF) was launched in 2000.

Commissioned by the Wellcome Trust, DTI and HEFCE, the evaluation reports on feedback from the sponsors and recipients of JIF awards, and presents a number of lessons to be learnt for the future. The report reveals:

JIF made a valued contribution to the research base after years of under investment;
JIF contributed to improvements in institutional research and estates strategies as well as enhancing procurement activities;
JIF helped research departments to attract funding from other sources;
JIF helped to highlight the continued need for funding of the research infrastructure - this resulted in SRIF;
there was some criticism that in some cases the requirement for institutional contributions to JIF-funded projects put an unnecessary strain on universities' finances. The level of contribution has been reduced under SRIF;
there was also criticism that the funding was not available for arts and humanities research. This has been addressed in the second round of SRIF.

JIF was widely welcomed and viewed as "a bold move that has kick-started a period of sustained investment". In addition to the availability of funds, JIF created a sense of opportunity and excitement, particularly in respect of becoming internationally competitive.

Media contacts:

Miriam de Lacy
Wellcome Trust Media Office
Tel: 020 7611 8285
Mobile: 07710 063310
E-mail: m.delacy@wellcome.ac.uk

Philip Walker
HEFCE Press Office
Tel: 0117 931 7363
E-mail: p.walker@hefce.ac.uk

Helen Fielding
DTI Press Office
Tel: 020 7215 6140
E-mail: helen.fielding@dti.gsi.gov.uk

Notes

1. Since the last JIF awards were announced in May 2001, DTI and HEFCE have built on the success of the scheme with two rounds of the Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF) see www.hefce.ac.uk/research/srif for further information and www.dti.gov.uk in the Press Notices section (search on date - 12 Feb 2003) for the press notice that was issued when the latest round of SRIF was announced.

2. More than £1.6 billion has been allocated to universities for science research infrastructure. SRIF money is allocated on a formula basis rather than through competitive bidding between universities, allowing greater transparency and giving institutions a much greater say in how the money is spent and to meet their own priorities.