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The University of Warwick's business school has poached seven top researchers from Bath University, and in doing so has prevented Bath from claiming credit for any work completed by the team - headed by Alyson Warhurst - in the next round of the research assessment exercise, writes Alison Goddard.

Both universities gained a grade 5 (excellent) for business and management studies in the 1996 RAE.

Although the rules for the next RAE have been modified to allow institutions that lose researchers in the year to March 31 2001 to claim part of their work, Bath will not be able to claim any credit because Professor Warhurst's team will have joined Warwick before March 31 2000.

Professor Warhurst, who will take up a chair in corporate strategy and international development, will transfer her substantial industrial sponsorship to Warwick. "Many of the companies that fund work at Warwick also fund work at Bath. They said they would prefer to concentrate on one centre," said Malcolm McIntosh, director of Warwick's corporate citizenship unit.