What's new

This page was last revised on 27 April 2010. Changes since the last update include:

• TRAC Development Group announcement of new support arrangements for TRAC
• TRAC guidance updates 4 and 5 – March 2010

Previous updates included the following:

• TRAC guidance updates – October 2009
• TRAC Self Help Groups – updated information
• Statement of TRAC Requirements
• Update to TRAC guidance - March 2009
• Dispensation default rates
• TRAC EC-FP7 (including March 2009 updates)
• Update to TRAC guidance - December 2008 Update on time allocation definitions and requirements for reasonableness checks.
• Update to TRAC guidance (Annex 16) November 2008 Income allocation guidance revised, annual TRAC reporting template for 2007-08, TRAC peer group for benchmarking 2007-08 data.
• Letters from Chair of the Financial Sustainability Strategy Group (FSSG)

• Advice Note on Course Costing (March 2008)

• TRAC(T) reporting for 2006-07
  This update can be found on TRAC(T) Guidance page
• TRAC annex 16 update (November 2007)
  Annex 16 has been updated to include a sample of the Annual TRAC return and a revised income allocation schedule for 2006-07. These updates can be found on the Revisions to TRAC guidance page.
• TRAC(T) revised appendices (November 2007)
  Updates to Appendix 8, 10 and 12-2 to reflect the 2006-07 academic year. These updates can be found on the TRAC(T) guidance page.
• TRAC guidance update (October 2007)
  This updates can be found on the Update to the guidance October 2007.
• TRAC(T) update (September 2007)
  This update can be found on TRAC(T) Guidance page
• TRAC guidance update (August 2007)
  This updates can be found on the Revisions to TRAC Guidance page

The following updates to the Consolidated TRAC Guidance have been approved by the BUFDG Costing and Pricing Group and by the Funding Councils:

• TRAC compliance requirements
• Worked examples illustrating the calculation of charge-out rates for laboratory technicians and major research facilities (MRFs)

These updates can be found on the Revisions to TRAC Guidance page.

A clarification to the worked examples for the two TRAC cost adjustment is also provided.

The HEFCE, advised by the TRAC(T) Steering Group has approved draft guidance for costing teaching (TRAC(T)). This guidance has been developed for England and Northern Ireland only at this stage. Further information about the background and context to the development of TRAC for teaching is available on the HEFCE web-site under TRAC-T.

• DRAFT TRAC(T) guidance page.

Changes to the Consolidated TRAC Guidance were approved by the BUFDG Costing and Pricing Group on 16 June 2006, and by the Funding Councils. Further details about the changes can be found on the Revisions to TRAC guidance page. Information about the review process and decisions/ recommendations of the BUFDG Costing and Pricing Group are available here.

HEFCE has issued a bulletin on the development of TRAC for costing teaching. A second bulletin will be issued shortly. Copies of slides from briefing events held in May 2006 are also available. These can be downloaded from the HEFCE web-site.

The BUFDG Costing and Pricing Group has completed its review of the TRAC guidance. Information about the recommendations for changes to the guidance and other issues considered by the group can be found on the TRAC guidance page.

The HEFCE is taking forward the development of a national costing framework for teaching (TRAC(T)). HEFCE has set up a steering group to oversee the work, and has appointed consultants, JM Consulting to undertake the design of the framework. Further information and the slides from the briefing events held in May 2006 is available on the HEFCE web-site.

Further information about the current review of the TRAC guidance and timetable for publishing the outcomes is available on BUFDG costing and pricing group.

A new procedure for submitting and reviewing feedback and issues arising from the TRAC guidance has been put in place. Full details can be found at BUFDG Technical Group Information and Guidelines.

JCPSG Seventh and final report (July 2005)

Completion of JCPSG's programme of activities - HEFCE circular letter 33/2005. Letter reporting on the JCPSG's work to support the sector, and a summary of the independent review of the JCPSG.

Link to Quality assurance of TRAC implementation: final report

The UK HE Funding Councils have issued a statement on support arrangements for HEIs for full economic costing from July 2005 onwards. Further information is available on the HEFCE web-site under 'Finance and Assurance/Good Practice/Costing & Pricing' Click here to link to the HEFCE statement

Helpdesk: Funding Council support contacts

TRAC Key Dates

TRAC guidance helpdesk notes - changes to guidance for inclusion in next update of the TRAC guidance.