Whatever your opinion of the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF), it has driven important changes in how we define and assess research excellence. The inclusion in the REF of societal impact, its emphasis on quality over quantity, and plans to evaluate the quality and sustainability of the research environment all…
This blog was kindly provided by Professor Andrew Linn, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Westminster. On 19 May 2022 I wrote a blog for HEPI, reflecting on the recently-announced results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF2021). The question then was whether it had been a good REF and what we might…
Alexis Brown is Director of Policy and Advocacy at HEPI. HEPI has covered the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in a series of blogs by Dinah Birch, Rory Duncan, Simon Green, Andrew Linn, Cillian Ryan and Di Bailey, Bahram Bekhradnia, Peter Mandler, Andrew Wathey, Geoff Rodgers, and Nick Hillman. This week,…
In this latest contribution to our series of blogs on the REF, James Cleaver, Dr Gemma Derrick and Professor Simon Hettrick take a look at the potential implications for research assessment, were more open research practices adopted and a wider range of research outputs recognised. It is pleasing to see a broad…
This blog was written by Dr Elizabeth Gadd, Research Policy Manager at Loughborough University. I’ve spent my whole career in higher education, but this has been my first REF at the coalface. And so this month was my first in ‘REF Central’, our institutional hub of spreadsheet-wrangling and story-spinning, fuelled by…
This blog was written by Professor Andrew Linn, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Westminster. ‘How did REF go?’ That is the question higher education leaders are all asking each other in May 2022. It’s an odd question, rather like ‘How was the football?’ Well, seeing as you…
This blog was written by Professor Simon Green, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Aston University and a member of the Area Studies sub-panel both for REF 2014 and REF 2021. Results day for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) is typically accompanied by two things. On the one hand, there is (understandable) jubilation…
This post is part of a series of blogs reflecting on the REF. The full list of blogs in the series can be found here. This blog was written by Professor Rory Duncan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Sheffield Hallam University. Rory is on Twitter @ProfRoryDuncan. The publication of the…
Following the announcement of the results of REF2021 today, join us in conversation with David Sweeney, Executive Chair of Research England, at 3pm. Register for the webinar here. This blog was written by Professor Dinah Birch, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Cultural Engagement and Professor of English Literature at the University of Liverpool, and chair…
Following the announcement of the results of REF2021 tomorrow, join us in conversation with David Sweeney, Executive Chair of Research England. Register for the webinar here. This blog was written by Professor Cillian Ryan, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) and Professor Di Bailey, Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at Nottingham Trent University. The…