The reaction of the Arts and Humanities Research Council to widespread concern within the academy at the role that the "Big Society" plays in its "Delivery Plan" causes us grave concern. The AHRC has responded as if the objections arose solely because of the claim (which we are assured is false) that it had been ordered to put its money into programmes that contributed to the government's agenda. Rather, we are deeply disturbed by the voluntary alignment of research programmes to political slogans. The independence of the research councils must be paramount, and their priorities must be determined by academic judgement.

We call on the AHRC and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to eschew party political slogans or brands in academic research plans, and demand their immediate removal. Their presence undermines academic independence and damages our international reputation for academic integrity and quality.

The AHRC has established a precedent that political slogans can be publicised by research council documents and that research will be focused on them. Unless this is undone, any future administration can legitimately expect its campaign slogans to appear in research council documents and plans. In this case the phrase is "Big Society", but we would be no less opposed were it the term "Third Way".

Architectural Humanities Research Group

Association of University Departments of Theology and Religious Studies

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Association of University Professors and Heads of French

Australasian Society for Continental Philosophy

British Philosophical Association

British Association for American Studies

British Association for Jewish Studies

British Association of Slavonic and East European Studies

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British Association for Study of Religions

British Society for 18th-Century Studies

British Society for the History of Science

British Society of Aesthetics

British Sociological Association

Council of University Classics Departments

English Goethe Society

Modern Humanities Research Association

National Association for Music in ÖйúAƬ

National Association of Writers in Education

Economic History Society

Political Studies Association Media and Politics Specialist group

Royal Musical Association

The British Society for Ethical Theory

The Council of the British Association for Korean Studies

The Philological Society

The Society for French Studies

The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

UK Sartre Society