The Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) has confirmed it will maintain levels of funding at £10.5m for all university museums for the next academic year.
Following a review 2010, Hefce said its funding allocations for individual museums would constitute a baseline for funding until 2015, but this was subject to government cuts.
It has now written to the 31 individual museums and galleries is funds to inform them that the overall amount of funding available in 2012/13 would be maintained.
Sally MacDonald, director of museums and public engagement at University College London museums and collections, welcomed the news.
“Given the current economic climate, many of us had concerns that this crucial source of funding would be reduced,” she said.
“In this context, standstill funding is the best we could have expected, and demonstrates that Hefce recognises the contribution university museums make to wider agendas on widening participation, public engagement and research impact.”
Nick Merriman, the director of the Manchester Museum, also welcomed the decision and said he hoped Hefce would continue with this level of funding in future academic years.
But he added that standstill funding represents a cut in real terms because of inflation.
Following a review 2010, Hefce said its funding allocations for individual museums would constitute a baseline for funding until 2015, but this was subject to government cuts.
It has now written to the 31 individual museums and galleries is funds to inform them that the overall amount of funding available in 2012/13 would be maintained.
Sally MacDonald, director of museums and public engagement at University College London museums and collections, welcomed the news.
“Given the current economic climate, many of us had concerns that this crucial source of funding would be reduced,” she said.
“In this context, standstill funding is the best we could have expected, and demonstrates that Hefce recognises the contribution university museums make to wider agendas on widening participation, public engagement and research impact.”
Nick Merriman, the director of the Manchester Museum, also welcomed the decision and said he hoped Hefce would continue with this level of funding in future academic years.
But he added that standstill funding represents a cut in real terms because of inflation.
