Faqs Ref 2021

Leo Migdal

-Dec 14, 2025, 8:13 AM

The REF website uses cookies to make the site more efficient. Find out more about cookies and how we use them. document.write('<span class="close" title="Close">x<\/span>'); For general information on the REF exercise including its purposes and how it is conducted, please visit the following pages of the REF website: These frequently asked questions (FAQs) relate to the REF 2021 results. They have been grouped by category.

The Codes of practice complaints and investigation process will close on 15 July 2022. This deadline has been extended by two weeks to account for the later publication of the REF results, which was adjusted from April to May 2022 due to the pre-election period in place throughout... Individual outputs were assessed in order to produce the output sub-profiles for each submission. Once the sub-profiles were complete, the scores for individual outputs were no longer required and have been destroyed. In accordance with data protection principles, we no longer hold the scores for individual outputs as they constitute personal data, which should not be held for longer than required to fulfil their purpose. Within annex C of the Guidance on submissionsGo to annex C of the REF submissions document, Research England provide the following definition of ‘research’ for REF purposes.

Where ‘research’ is referenced to within the UoW Code of Practice (CoP) this should be understood as a reference to the Research England definition. The definition of research for the REF is as follows: Research is assessed for the purposes of REF according to four starred quality levels (1*, 2*, 3*, 4*). Research outputs that would be “REF’able” are those that are understood to be of a quality that is at least “recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour” (1*). Research “that falls below the standard of nationally recognised work … [or] does not meet the published definition of research for the purposes of this assessment” would be scored as Unclassified in REF terms. Annex K of the Guidance on submissions reiterates the underpinning principal of REF that "all forms of research output will be assessed on a fair and equal basis.

Sub-panels will not regard any particular form of output as of greater or lesser quality than another per se”. All research outputs must however meet the REF definition of research (see above). A table within Annex K sets out the categories of output types under which outputs can be submitted in REF 2021, the collection formats for the different output types, and includes a broad definition... The table includes examples, but the guidance indicates that these are provided for guidance only and do not represent a definitive list. Where ‘outputs’ is referenced to within the UoW CoP this should be understood as a reference to the Research England definitions set out above. REF is the process overseen by the UK Government but led by discipline specific panels of academics to assesses University research outputs and impact case studies.

The purpose is to allocate UK Government research funding. The previous REF was in 2014. Each university submits a REF return made up of three elements: Research outputs, Impact Case Studies, and a narrative about the research Environment. Expert review panels assess each research outputs and award a grade based on a four point scale from 1* to 4* (and unclassified). Research Outputs, Impact Case Studies and Environment narratives are collated into a Unit of Assessment (UoA) such as Sociology or Law, which is in turn awarded an overall assessment. The guidelines and criteria panels use to assess research outputs will be published in 2018 / 19.

You can find the Government REF21 webpages here. The University Code of Practice governing decision making around staff eligibility, research output and impact case study selection will be documented and published in 2018. The main purpose of the Code of Practice is to ensure decision making is fair, consistent and auditable. It is the set of policies and processes the University follows to ensure decision making is fair, consistent, and auditable. It ensures that the process conforms to the University’s Equality and Diversity policies, and sets out how individual circumstances will be managed. Go here to read the University's REF14 Code of Practice.

The REF21 Code of Practice will be drafted during 2018 and the final version published in Spring 2019. REF or the Research Excellence Framework is an assessment exercise which occurs every 6-7 years led by Research England. The assessment of each discipline is done, primarily, by academic peers. Three things are assessed: outputs (60% publications and other types of outputs), impact (25% - this is an increase from REF2014) and environment (15%) and we make our submissions at the discipline level. OUTPUTS: Unlike previous exercises, the number of outputs submitted will vary with all eligible staff required to submit at least one output but no more than five for assigned to any one person. IMPACT: this is assessed based on 5-page case studies which highlight specific examples of impact which happened between 2013 and 2020 and which have emerged as a result of research.

ENVIRONMENT: this is a narrative for each discipline which looks retrospectively over the period and sets out a vision for future years about that disciplines research and impact strategy, how it nurtures its people... The REF 2021 results will be published in May 2022. The College has opted to submit 100% of eligible staff to the REF. This means that if you are on a teaching and research contract in the academic job family with an FTE above 0.3, you will be eligible. If you are on a research only contract, then a REF specific process of interpretation of research independence must be undertaken to determine whether you are eligible for REF. If you have an FTE between 0.2 and 0.29, you may be eligible but will need to demonstrate a substantive connection to the College.

The interpretation of research independence within the REF process is specific to the REF and will be applied only for the purposes of producing the College’s REF submission. As such, the REF interpretation of research independence may differ from judgements of research independence in other contexts and no inferences from the REF research independence can be drawn for other contexts. For further information about the process to identify research independence, please refer to Part 3 of the Code of Practice. For staff employed on minimum fractional contracts (0.20 to 0.29 FTE) on the census date, the HEI will need to provide a statement evidencing the clear connection of the staff member with the submitting... Research Management Team of the Year, winners 2016 Research Management Team of the Year, highly commended 2015

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