Research and third mission efficiency in UK universities: assessing the role of European Framework Programmes

Abstract The assumption that universities only produce graduates is somewhat simplistic. Over the years, they have substantially enlarged their scope in covering the teaching, research and third mission dimensions. This work assesses the efficiency through which universities pursue objectives along the research and third mission directions. In detail, we assess the role of the European Framework Programmes (EU-FP) in influencing the input–output turning process in both research and third mission dimensions. The analysis is carried out for a sample of universities over the 2014–2021 period in United Kingdom (UK), whose higher educational system is well-known and highly-respected. Specifically, we adopt a robust nonparametric approach using a conditional efficiency measure, with the inclusion of partial frontiers. Also, we evaluate whether belonging to an elite-group of universities and the age of universities do matter for attaining efficiency. To do so, we revise the main policy reforms in UK, and we rely on the relevant literature on the efficiency of universities. Offering up-to-date evidence on the UK scenario, we suggest ways to strengthen and measure efficiency both in academic and practitioners’ spheres.