Adapting the university’s research policy to a new financing model for the Flemish universities

14-10-2006 1HUMANE seminar Barcelona

Adapting the university’s research policy to a new financing model for the Flemish universities

HUMANE seminar Barcelona 13 – 14 October 2006


Pag.

The birth of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel

In the wake of the political struggles between Flanders and Wallonia, with the act of 28 May 1970, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles officially became two separate legal, administrative and scientific entities.

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel was asked to form a comprehensive flemish-speaking university in Brussels.

At the start we would have approximately 3000 students and the goal set was to reach 5000 one day.

Today we have 9000 students in 8 faculties.


Pag.

Vrije Universiteit Brussel today

We offer

– 28 bachelor programs

– 102 master programs

– 21 link up programs

– 25 preparatory programs

– Post-academic education

– Vesalius College: 3 bachelors


Pag.

Short history of the financing models

* from 1970 till 1991 sum per program + sum per student

* from 1991 till 1999 previous total fixed + sum per extra student (weighted per discipline)

* from 1999 till 2002 smaller adaptations trying to equalize the sum per student over the universities

* from 2002 till 2007 frozen envelope to give the universities the chance to rationalize – failed

* from 2008 a new model largely based on output


Pag.

leerkrediet:

-140 SP,opname = -, verworven = +

-Eerste 60 verw x2

-Leerkrediet = <0:

-Gn financiering

-Instelling beslist

-Max dubbel ingeld

Research socle:

90 mln €

From universities envelope

Norm (schale):

-ISI p (10yr) 600,3000,10.000

-# doctorates 50,400 (4yr)

Research related part

187 mln € (excl acad. means hs)

-dipl acc ma & ba of associations

- # doct dipl

-p&c ISI

Periods and ratios as in BOF (SRF)

Teaching related part

806 mln €

-x 1.5 beurs in&outstud

-x 1.5 ftiebeperking

-feasability dipl moeder

-eerste 60 sp IN

->61 sp OUT

-ba/ma/sch/vrber: # sp out

-Prof Ba/ma dipl: 30 sp

-Ma na ma nt; ba na ba 0.5

- gezamenl opl= sp x 2

-Sp examencontract nt

-Vrtschr gem 3j

Means universities; 583 mln €

+ additional means: 12,915 mln €

Means high schools; 553,6 mln €

+ additional means : 10 mln €incl

+ once-only injection 12,5 mln € 2007

Flemish Community basic financing university and highschool education

1.218,3 mld€

Teaching socle:

100 mln €

Instellingsnorm: 1500 hoofdinschrijvingen

=nt kub, sint lukas

<6000 hfdin= factor 3

<12000hfdin=factor 2

Preallowance

associations

100 D€ x 5

Acad education hs

Acad education universities 55 % Teaching 45 % Research

Weging volgens:

-Studiegebied

-correctie th&geneesk vr behoud huidige enveloppe

13,8 mln €

“Compensation”:

2008 = 2007 + c.o.l.

2009 = max 0,5% down

Extra means for raionalization

Professional trainig

Academization means

Extension due to model 11,9 mln €

Regularisation Gent 9,9 mln €

Encouragement fund 6 mln €

Incentive funding

08: 3mln

09: 6 mln

=chnaces&div

Cofinancing

On agreement with govmnt

Rationalisering

Aanwendings% per studiegebied

Vanaf 2010:

Gdgek plan = 101% zoniet 99%

Stopzetting opleiding = 5j degressief

3 budgetten

evolueren onafhankelijk van elkaar

Halfopen klik

Additional compensation non-state universities 5,5 mln €

Compensatory means 6,9 mln €

…

hs

Academ. highschools


Pag.

Effects of the new financing model for the budget of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel

means

structural model with extra funding

today'ssubsidies 2008 2012 tijd

added means by govt- 313 D. EUR

actual financing by govt

structural model govt

extra funding


Pag.

Research output… growing importance

RESEARCH BASIC (operational) SUBSIDIES 79 million EUR(2005)

45% RESEARCH 55% TEACHING

Competition: Fl. & Fed. govt., EU, ... — —

Performance: IUAP, BOF 20 million EUR 33 million EUR

Socle: Own funds 21 million EUR 5 million EUR

TOTAAL: 62 million EUR 41 million EUR 38 million EUR

Sum RESEARCH Sum TEACHING103 million EUR 38 million EUR


Pag.

Action needed 1

* Research obligation for all teaching staff and for assisting academic personnel

* General (though dependant on the discipline) instructions concerning demands of research files for appointments, promotions and evaluations


Pag.

Research funding at Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Flemish governmental means

for fundamental research

IN 2005 62 MILLION EURO WAS SPENT ON RESEARCH

Cooperation Flemish Research Institutes

Strategic basic research

Incl project financing by authorities

Own means

Income from collaboration

with private sector


Pag.

Moneystreams for research

* 1st stream: Special Research Fund and part of the basic funding of the university from the Flemish government

* 2nd stream: Flemish government funding for fundamental research

* 3rd stream: funding by Belgian, European and other international governments and/or institutions for strategic basic research

* 4th stream: funding for applied research and rendering of services


Pag.

Summary: evolution of acquired sums per money stream at VUB

Evolutie geldstromen VUB

€ -

€ 5.000.000

€ 10.000.000

€ 15.000.000

€ 20.000.000

€ 25.000.000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

1° geldstroom

2° geldstroom

3° geldstroom

4°geldstroom


Pag.

Determinants for the 1st money stream

* BOF (SRF)-key * # doctorates * # of publications and citations * # bachelor and masterdegrees


Pag.

Composition of the BOF (SRF)-key

BOF 2005: VUB 11,59%

70% Part A - VUB: 11,24%– 50% number doctorates (weighted, last 4 years) - VUB: 11,0%– 35% number 2nd cycle diploma's (weighted, last 4 years) – VUB: 10,7%– 15% own means - VUB: 13,3%

30% Part B - VUB: 12,49%– 50% number publications type "article", "letter", "note" & "review"

in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) (last 10 years) – VUB: 12,1%– 50% number citations to these publications (last 10 years) - VUB: 12,8%


Pag.

Evolution components BOF-key

Evolution of the VUB-share in the BOF-components

10,0

10,5

11,0

11,5

12,0

12,5

13,0

13,5

14,0

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

BOF-budget year

% V

UB

of

Fle

mis

h u

niv

ers

itie

s 2nd cyclle

doctorates

Own imput

publications

citations

BOF-key


Pag.

Delivered PhD diploma’s per faculty

Evolution of the number of Phd’s per faculty at VUB

0

10

20

30

40

1997

/199

8

1998

/199

9

1999

/200

0

2000

/200

1

2001

/200

2

2002

/200

3

2003

/200

4

2004

/200

5

Academiejaar

Aan

tal d

octo

rate

n LW Philology & Philosophy

RC LawPE Psychology and educationES Economics, Politics, SociologyWE SciencesIR Applied sciences

GF Medicine & Pharmacy


Pag.

Delivered PhD's per FTE ZAP (prof.)

PhD's per FTE ZAP per domain for the Flemish universities

0,0

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

0,5

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

1,0

P

hilo

soph

y.

Godge

l., g

odsd

iens

twet

. en

kerk

elijk

rech

t

Taal

- en

lette

rkun

de

Histor

y

Arche

olog

ie e

n ku

nstw

et.

Law

& crim

inol

oy

Psyc

holo

gisc

he e

n pe

dago

gisc

he w

et.

Econ

omisc

he e

n to

egep

aste

eco

nom

ische

wet

.

Polit

ical

and

soc

ial s

c.

Social

e Gez

ondh

eids

wet

.

Lich

amel

ijke

opv.

, Rev

alid

atie

wet

. en

Kine

Scie

nces

Engi

neer

ing

Toeg

epas

te b

iolo

gisc

he w

et.

Med

icin

e

Tand

heel

kund

e

Dierg

enee

skun

de

Farm

aceu

tisch

e wet

.

Ph

D's

/ V

TE Z

AP (

gem

. 3

j: 0

1/0

2-0

3/0

4)

KUB

KULeuven

UHasselt

UGent

UA

VUB


Pag.

Delivered 2nd cycle diploma's per faculty

Evolution of the number of second cycle diploma's at the VUB per faculty

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1997

/199

8

1998

/199

9

1999

/200

0

2000

/200

1

2001

/200

2

2002

/200

3

2003

/200

4

2004

/200

5

Academiejaar

Aan

tal d

iplo

ma's LW philology & philosophy

RC lawPE psychology & educationES economic, sociology, politicsWE sciencesIR applied sciencesGF medicine & pharmacy


Pag.

Action needed: PhD and Ma diploma’s

* Productivity of academic staff concerning PhD’s has to rise (mainly in disciplines delivering already many PhD’s but with a weak score in comparison with Flanders in general and secondly in the Human Sciences in global)

* Solutions have to be found for the understaffing of faculties delivering many master degrees as compared to faculties with many PhD’s but delivering fewer master degrees


Pag.

Second money stream

If not all, most money for fundamental research comes from the Flemish government through the FWO (Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek -Fund for Scientific Research).

We will use the FWO as the proxy for the second money stream


Pag.

Evolution FWO: VUB vs. Flanders (competitive position

Evolution FWO: VUB vs. Flanders (2001-2005)

0,00

0,20

0,40

0,60

0,80

1,00

1,20

1,40

1,60

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Jaar

Bed

rag

gen

orm

alis

eerd

op

1 in

200

1

FWO-Flanders

FWO VUB (projects+mandates)


Pag.

Evolution FWO-Postdocs

Part of acceptable applications forFWO-Postdoctoral researchers (new mandates + renewals)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Dienstjaar

Aan

deel VUB

UGentKULeuvenUA


Pag.

Evolution succes rate per subcommission (FWO proj. & c.t.r.)

VUB-succes rate for FWO-prjects and -credits to researchers

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

20052004200320022001200019991998

Screeningsronde (start project in daaropvolgend jaar)

Sla

ag

perc

en

tag

e

HW

BNTW

BMW


Pag.

Action needed

More incentives for raising the number of external applications and their quality especially in the human sciences


Pag.

Composition third money stream:Strategic basic research

Financial means: third moneystream (2001-2005)

0

1.000.000

2.000.000

3.000.000

4.000.000

5.000.000

6.000.000

7.000.000

8.000.000

9.000.000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Jaar

Bed

rag

in €

Federale Overheid

Vlaamse Overheid

IWT

Brussel

Internationaal

EU

Stichtingen


Pag.

Strategic basic research: Growth VUB vs. Flanders

Evolution strategic basic research: VUB vs.Flanders (2002-2005)

0,000,200,400,600,801,001,201,401,60

2002 2003 2004 2005

Jaar

Bed

rag

gen

orm

alis

eerd

op

1 in

200

2

Flanders R&V

VUB 3rd stream


Pag.

Contract research and valorisation

- Fourth money stream- Patents, spin-offs


Pag.

Applied and contract research: Growth VUB vs. Flanders

Evolution applied research: VUB vs. Flanders(2002-2005)

0,000,200,400,600,801,001,201,401,60

2002 2003 2004 2005

Jaar

Bed

rag

gen

orm

alis

eerd

op

1 in

200

2

Flanders Sc&T

VUB 4th stream


Pag.

Income from patents

Active valorisation management

Total expenses valorisation dossiers Total income valorization dossiers


Pag.

CONCLUSIONS

• Minimal requirements for the individual research dossier

• Incentives for more PhD diploma’s in certain disciplines

• Incentives for more & good FWO (SFR)-projects within the domain of the human sciences

• Forming of centres of gravity• Streamline the education supply & heighten

the obligation for research• PhD in 4 years


Pag.

Question time

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

http://www.vub.ac.be

With thanks to Prof. Dr. Ir. Jan Cornelis, vice-rector Research and Nic Van Craen, financial administrator (WSAN)

Documents

Adapting the university’s research policy to a new financing model for the Flemish universities