The Scottish Council for Research in Education (SCRE) and the Faculty of Education at the University of Glasgow have agreed to merge to develop a major centre for education research.

SCRE, Scotland's leading independent education research organisation, will become a discrete unit within the expanded Faculty, contributing to its research output and building on its recent success in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Welcoming the merger, Dr Hirek Kwiatkowski, Dean of the Faculty of Education said: "SCRE has a track record of carrying out high quality research in education, which will complement the Faculty's teacher education expertise. This is a real coup for Glasgow, particularly at this time when a range of research opportunities in education have been recently announced."

The University has been negotiating with SCRE through a group led by Professor Chris Morris, Vice Principal, who said: "The relationship between SCRE and the Faculty of Education has great potential. The Faculty's existing research groups have recently been graded 4 in the Research Assessment Exercise, and this merger will build on this. The purpose of the merger is to provide the Education Faculty of the University with a strong, viable, experienced research unit that already has an international reputation. Together we will be in an excellent position to attract research income and carry out research work into education in Scotland, the UK and internationally."

Welcoming the announcement, Mr Bill Furness, Chairman of the SCRE Board said: "This merger will be of great mutual benefit and help to ensure SCRE maintains its ability to undertake high quality, independent research. Being part of a larger organisation with an excellent resource base will enable us to bid for larger projects and expand our activities."

In recent years, SCRE has conducted numerous research projects in all educational sectors and for a diverse range of funders, including local and central government departments, the research councils, and UK grant-making trusts.

Current projects include the development of school-based resources to support young people facing bereavement (supported by the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund), and two major projects funded by the Department for Education and Skills on the causes and effects of truancy, and on teachers' career profiles.

SCRE is perhaps best known by the wider public for its pioneering research into bullying in Scottish schools, and for the uniquely valuable data resource arising from its intelligence tests conducted on all 11-year-olds in Scottish schools in 1932.

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Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

For further information contact:

Jon Lewin, Information Officer, SCRE. 0131 623 2954

email jon.lewin@scre.ac.uk

Or University Press Office:

0141 330 3535

The Scottish Council for Research in Education (SCRE) is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status, established in 1928 to undertake research in education. The majority of SCRE?s income is competitively won research funding.

First published: 27 June 2002