REF 2029

In June 2023 the four UK higher education funding bodies published key decisions on the high-level design of the next research assessment exercise and outlined issues for further consultation. These initial decisions represent a shift towards a broader and more holistic approach to research assessment. Consultation on the initial decisions for REF opened on 15 June 2023 and ran until 6 October 2023. The initial decisions document is available at www.ref.ac.uk

In December 2023 the REF team produced a 'next steps' document announcing a delay from 2028 to 2029, to address some issues, including how to implement plans to break the connection between individual staff and institutional submissions.

You can access past news releases in connection with REF policy and guidance on the REF website

Unit of Assessment Structure

The funding bodies propose to retain the REF Units of Assessment for REF 2029

New elements for Assessment.

Current proposals reshape and rebalance the three assessment elements to support broader assessment, increasing focus on research culture, people and environment.

1. People, Culture and Environment, 25%
2. Contribution to Knowledge and Understanding, 50%
3. Engagement and Impact, 25%

These replace the previous assessment elements 'Outputs', 'Impact' and 'Environment', which were split 60/25/15 respectively.

Volume Measures and Staff

REF 2029 aims to break the link between staff and outputs, aiming for a submission that represents research and researchers in the disciplinary areas. The proposed changes mean that institutions would not submit staff to the assessment exercise. Instead, the funding bodies would use an average full-time equivalent (FTE) of eligible staff over multiple years to calculate the volume measure. Number of outputs and impact case studies required would be an average value and not be directly linked to individual staff employed on a specific census date.

Eligibility

It is proposed that Staff eligibility criteria from REF 2021 will remain in use for REF 2029 and eligible staff will be indicated in institutions annual HESA returns.

Early consultation considered wider inclusivity of research related staff in submissions, however REF have confirmed that research sole-authored by postgraduate research students (including PhD theses) will not be eligible for REF 2029. REF have also confirmed that research sole-authored by individuals employed on contracts with no research-related expectations will not be eligible for REF.

• REF 2029 will keep the REF Units of Assessment(UoA) structures from REF2021, along with advisory panels on equality, diversity and inclusion, and interdisciplinary research.
• Staff eligibility for REF is currently as it was in REF 2021 and can be found in our REF2021 Code of Practice
• The assessment process, as undertaken by expert sub-panels for each UoA, remains and will work under guidance from the four Main Panels:
  • Main Panel A: Medicine, health and life sciences.
  • Main Panel B: Physical sciences, engineering and mathematics.
  • Main Panel C: Social sciences.
  • Main Panel D: Arts and humanities.
• The submission process will remain broadly similar to REF 2021, institutions will submit outputs, impact case studies and statements relevant to submitted Units of Assessment, institutional statements will also remain part of the assessment.

Main differences from REF 2021 in REF 2029

• There will be no census date for staff numbers and staff lists will not be submitted
• Individual circumstances for reduction in output requirements have been removed
• Research-active staff will not be required to submit a minimum number of outputs
• The minimum number of impact case studies an institution can submit per disciplinary submission will be reduced to one.
• The 2* minimum quality threshold for the research that underpins impact case studies has been removed.

Further ongoing work which may lead to changes includes:

• Ensuring that breaking the link between individual staff members and unit submissions does not have any “unintended consequences.”
• Developments and guidance on how to show a “demonstrable and substantive link" to the submitting institution for outputs
• Consideration of feedback from the Open Access consultation in June 2024
• Further work on the proposed sliding scale for weighting of impact case studies
• Metrics used to underpin the evaluation of the research environment are being assessed as part of the PCE pilot.

Unit of Assessment Structure

• Discussions are ongoing with Schools to establish REF Units of Assessment fit for REF eligible staff.

Volume Measures and Staff

• REF eligible FTE are currently consistent with the volume submitted in REF 2021. Senior staff and the REF Team regularly monitor the size of the REF submission.
• Staff in Research and Innovation and in Human Resources are working together to ensure that the annual HESA returns accurately reflect REF eligibility for all staff.

Outputs

• Annual output assessments were undertaken in 2023 and 2024 to establish a baseline for REF eligible outputs across all Schools. These exercises provided an early indication of the possible shape of the institutional output submission.
• Output Assessment is now moving to a continuous assessment model and will inform ongoing  selection of outputs for REF 2029

Impact Case studies

• 163 impact projects have been identified across the university with an anticipated requirement of around 69 REF case studies, depending on unit of assessment structure.
• Research Leave Schemes have been awarded to support mature case studies.
• Prioritisation of impact case studies is now taking place across all schools.

People, Culture and Environment

• The university of Aberdeen applied to be part of the REF 2029 PCE pilot exercise but was not selected, however Aberdeen did host and facilitate some of the PCE workshops.
• The Research Excellence Grant (REG) is used to support research across the university and accounts for 32% of all university income. REG is used to support research with Match funding, Internal pump prime schemes and other measures such as Impact support and the research leave scheme.
• The Institutional research leave schemes have supported applications for outputs, impact and research culture across all Schools.
• Impact infrastructure has been strengthened and additional support for impact has been put in place.
• Calibration and assessment training has been implemented for all staff.
• The institutional workload exercise is looking at ways to free up staff time for research.
• Support from the Grants academy is in place to help staff apply for more and larger grant applications to major UK funders

People Culture and Environment

• Research Dean: Ben Tatler
• Professional Services Support: Lucy Leiper

Contribution to Knowledge and Understanding

• Research Dean: Nir Oren
• Professional Services Support: Joanna Adams (Open research), Nykohla Strong (output reviews)

Engagement and Impact

• Research Dean: Michelle Mcleod
• Professional Services Support: Ruth Banks