Despite austerity measures across Britain, the University of Manchester is creating more than 30 science faculty posts as part of a £20-million (US$31-million) recruitment campaign. It hopes to boost its performance in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) used to assess UK universities. The positions include 23 professorships and 7 lectureships, and are part of a move to establish more than 100 posts across all fields. A spokesperson says that the scheme will put Manchester ahead of institutions that are cutting back, so that it will score well in the 2014 REF and receive more funding. Manchester has a £40-million budget surplus this year as a result of cost-saving measures.