RAE 2008:analysis of panel membership

Introduction

  1. Panel members for the 15 main panels and 67 sub-panels for the RAE 2008 were appointed following nominations from subject associations, professional and practitioner bodies, commercial organisations and other stakeholders. They were selected based on their expertise in the panel subject areas. Information about the nomination and selection process is available at under Panels.
  1. As panel members were appointed following a nominations process, we were unable to collect data relating to ethnicity, gender and disability at any appropriate time during the pre-appointment stages.
  1. Therefore, in summer 2006, the RAE team undertook equal opportunities monitoring of all panel members serving in the RAE 2008. Where this report refers to panels, panel members or respondents, the analysis includes both main and sub-panel chairs and all members within each main panel area.
  1. We sent all panel members an equal opportunities monitoring form, which addressed ethnicity, gender and disability. The forms were based onthose used by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) but each one was pre-printed with the panel affiliation of the member to whom it was sent. A copy of the form is at Annex A.No personal details such as name or institution were required. A list of the main panel areas is at Annex B.
  1. The monitoring forms were sent to panel members in July 2006. The analysis that follows is based on the responses received by 11 September 2006. We will add to this data as it becomes available, to reflect any further forms received, and additional panel members appointed. We will not, however, be able to remove data relating to existing members who leave panels, because their responses were anonymous.
  1. A statistical breakdown of responses is at Annex C). Results are given as percentages of total respondents by panel, and to one decimal place.

Responses to the equal opportunities monitoring survey

  1. The overall statistics which refer to total respondents include responses from all main and sub-panels. This gives an overall picture of the panel composition, but the individual panels may vary considerably.

Response rate

  1. A total of 1,027 forms were sent to panel members. By11 September 2006, 82.0per centhad been completed and returned.
  1. Response rates ranged from 61.2 per cent (Main Panel O) to 98.4 per cent (Main Panel B). Response rates for 14 of the main panel areas were over 76 per cent. The median response rate was 84.3per cent.

Ethnicity

  1. Of panel members who responded,82.4 per cent reported their ethnicity as White British. Other ethnic groups which make up more than 1per centeach of the total membership are: White Other (9.9 per cent); White Irish (4.2per cent); Asian/Asian British/Indian (1.5per cent).
  1. The most recently available data provided by HEFCE[1] (2004-05) indicates that 84.1 per cent of professorial and lecturing staff in research active departments at HEIs in England are White. Other ethnic groups which made up more than 1 per cent each of the English HEI research active departments in 2004-05 were: Not Known (8.7 per cent); Other ethnic group (2.3 per cent); Chinese (1.6 per cent) and Indian (1.3 per cent).

Sex

  1. In total, 73.0per centof respondents identified themselves as male; 27.0per centas female.
  1. The male:female ratio of respondents ranged from 53.5:46.5per cent in Main Panel K to 87.5 :12.5per cent in Main Panel F. Panels with over 40 per cent female membership were Main Panels J, K, and O (45.3, 46.5 and 44.2per cent respectively). Panels with over 80 per cent male membership were Main Panels A, B, D, E, F, G and I (81.7, 83.0, 85.4, 83.7, 87.5, 85.5 and 84.1per cent respectively).
  1. The most recently available data provided by HEFCE for professorial and lecturing staff in research active departments at HEIs in England (2004-05) shows a ratio of 70.0:30.0 per cent.[2]

Disabilities

  1. One per centof total respondents indicated that they considered themselves disabled. One respondent did not answer the question.
  1. Responses in five panel areas indicated some disabled members. The highest number was in Main Panel J, with 5.3per cent of respondents indicating that they considered themselves disabled. This was four members out of 75 respondents. The four other panel areas whose composition included disabled respondents were Main Panels B, D, F and H; for each panel area this wasone respondent.
  1. HEFCE data on professional and lecturing staff in research active departments at HEIs in England (2004-05) does not provide information on disability.

Panel secretariat

  1. At the time of the equal opportunities monitoring survey, there were no panel secretaries seconded to the RAE 2008. However, we collected anonymised equal opportunities monitoring information from the 76 applicants for secondments to the panel secretariat in September 2004. This information shows that:
  2. 95.7 per cent of applicants identified themselves as White British. The other three reported groups were White Irish, White Other, and Mixed Other, each with one applicant.
  3. The male:female ratio of applicants was 32.9:67.1 per cent.
  4. No applicants indicated that they considered themselves to be disabled.

Annex AEqual Opportunities Monitoring Form

Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

In Confidence

Personal information

I would describe my ethnic origin as

White

British
Irish
Any other White background (please specify) ……………………………………………

Mixed

White and Black Caribbean
White and Black African
White and Asian
Any other Mixed background (please specify) ……………………………………………

Asian or Asian British

Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Any other Asian background (please specify) ……………………………………………

Black or Black British

Caribbean
African
Any other Black background (please specify) ……………………………………………

Chinese or other Ethnic Group

Chinese
Any other (please specify) ……………………………………………

Do you consider yourself disabled?

Yes
No

I am

Male
Female

Annex B

Main Panel areas

Main Panel / Covers Sub-Panels
Panel A / Cardiovascular Medicine, Cancer Studies, Infection and Immunology, Other Hospital Based Clinical Subjects, Other Laboratory Based Clinical Subjects
Panel B / Epidemiology and Public Health, Health Services Research, Primary Care and Other Community Based Clinical Subjects, Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology
Panel C / Dentistry, Nursing and Midwifery, Allied Health Professions and Studies, Pharmacy
Panel D / Biological Sciences, Pre-clinical and Human Biological Sciences, Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science
Panel E / Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Physics
Panel F / Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Research, Computer Science and Informatics
Panel G / Electrical and Electronic Engineering, General Engineering and Mineral and Mining Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials
Panel H / Architecture and the Built Environment, Town and Country Planning, Geography and Environmental Studies, Archaeology
Panel I / Economics and Econometrics, Accounting and Finance, Business and Management Studies, Library and Information Management
Panel J / Law, Politics and International Studies, Social Work and Social Policy & Administration, Sociology, Anthropology, Development Studies
Panel K / Psychology, Education, Sports-Related Studies
Panel L / American Studies and Anglophone Area Studies, Middle Eastern and African Studies, Asian Studies, European Studies
Panel M / Russian, Slavonic and East European Languages, French, German, Dutch and Scandinavian Languages, Italian, Iberian and Latin American Languages, Celtic Studies, English Language and Literature, Linguistics
Panel N / Classics, Ancient History, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, Philosophy, Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies, History
Panel O / Art and Design, History of Art, Architecture and Design, Drama, Dance and Performing Arts, Communications, Cultural and Media Studies, Music

Annex C

Statistical Breakdown of responses

Please note that for ethnic group, gender and disability the per centages do not include unreturned forms.

Main Panel area / Total response rate (%) / Ethnic origin (groups listed by panel area in the order that they were cited most frequently) / Male:
female ratio (%) / Disabled members (%)
Ethnic origin / % / Ethnic origin / % / Ethnic origin / % / Ethnic origin / % / Ethnic origin / %
A / 84.5 / White British / 82.9 / White Other / 7.3 / Asian/Asian British/Indian / 4.9 / White Irish / 3.7 / Chinese / 1.2 / 81.7:18.3 / 0
B / 98.4 / White British / 77.4 / White Irish / 9.7 / White Other / 8.1 / Asian/Asian British/Indian
Asian/Asian British/other
Chinese / 1.6
1.6
1.6 / - / - / 83.9:16.1 / 1.6
C / 87.7 / White British / 82.5 / White Irish / 10.5 / White Other / 3.5 / Mixed/White/Black/Caribbean
Asian/Asian British/other / 1.8
1.8 / - / - / 63.2:36.8 / 0
D / 78.8 / White British / 80.5 / White Other / 12.2 / White Irish / 4.9 / Mixed other / 2.4 / - / - / 85.4:14.6 / 2.4
E / 84.3 / White British / 86.0 / White Other / 7.0 / White Irish / 4.7 / Mixed other / 2.3 / - / - / 83.7:16.3 / 0
F / 88.9 / White British / 78.6 / White Other / 17.9 / White Irish
Asian/Asian British/Indian / 1.8
1.8 / - / - / - / - / 87.5:12.5 / 1.8
G / 79.5 / White British / 83.9 / White Irish
Asian/Asian British/Indian / 4.8
4.8 / White Other / 3.2 / Mixed/White/Asian / 1.6 / - / - / 85.5:14.5 / 0
H / 90.0 / White British / 87.0 / White Other / 9.3 / Asian/Asian British/Indian
Chinese / 1.9
1.9 / - / - / - / - / 77.8:22.2 / 1.9
I / 77.2 / White British / 88.6 / White Other / 11.4 / - / - / - / - / - / - / 84.1:15.9 / 0
J / 82.4 / White British / 89.3 / White Irish / 5.3 / White Other / 2.7 / Asian/Asian British/Indian
Other ethnic group / 1.3
1.3 / - / - / 54.7:45.3 / 5.3
K / 86.0 / White British / 88.4 / White Other / 7.0 / White Irish
Asian/Asian British/Indian / 2.3
2.3 / - / - / - / - / 53.5:46.5 / 0
L / 85.0 / White British / 70.6 / White Other / 19.6 / Mixed Other / 3.9 / White Irish
Asian/Asian British/Indian
Black/Black British/African / 2.0
2.0
2.0 / - / - / 70.6:29.4 / 0
M / 76.1 / White British / 72.9 / White Other / 17.1 / White Irish / 7.1 / Mixed/White/Asian
Mixed other / 1.4
1.4 / - / - / 64.3:35.7 / 0
N / 79.4 / White British / 86.0 / White Other / 14.0 / - / - / - / - / - / - / 68.0:32.0 / 0
O / 61.2 / White British / 84.6 / White Other / 11.5 / White Irish
Chinese / 1.9
1.9 / - / - / - / - / 55.8:44.2 / 0
all / 82.0 / White British / 82.4 / White other / 9.9 / White Irish / 4.2 / Asian/Asian British/Indian / 1.5 / Mixed other / 0.6 / 73.0:27.0 / 1.0

[1] HEFCE 2006/31 ‘Staff employed at HEFCE-funded HEIs: update’. The survey carried out by HEFCE did not use exactly the same groupings as the equal opportunities monitoring forms for the survey of RAE panel members, but the fields used for ethnic grouping may be used for rough comparison . No respondents to the RAE survey classed their ethnic group as unknown. Note that the overview in HEFCE 2006/31 uses total data for English HEIs, and does not disaggregate this by professorial and lecturing staff in research active departments.

[2] HEFCE 2006/31 Staff employed at HEFCEfunded HEIs: update’.