Research England

**Who Research England is** We are responsible for funding, engaging with and understanding English higher education providers (HEPs). Our work creates and sustains the conditions for a healthy and dynamic research and knowledge exchange system in the higher education sector. **Our vision** Our vision is for English HEPs to play a central role in the economy and society delivering world-class research with transformational real-world application, developing the skilled and talented workforce that modern research and development (R&D) intensive economy needs, and operating as major international players to enhance the UK’s global reach and influence. **Our mission** Our mission is to create and sustain the conditions for a healthy and dynamic research and knowledge exchange system in English HEPs. We fund HEPs to deliver excellent research and high-performance knowledge exchange, unlocking potential, generating impact, and meeting national priorities and global challenges. This includes a strong focus on support for innovative industrial developments and high value, strategic and agile formula funding streams such as: - quality-related research funding underpinned by the [Research Excellence Framework (REF)](http://www.ref.ac.uk/) - support for knowledge exchange via the Higher Education Innovation Fund. We want to make the best use of taxpayers’ money by prioritising funding where we can get the best value and ensuring we deliver the government’s policy aims. We also make sure that HEPs are accountable for the money they get, but without creating an excessive burden on them.