REF2021

REF2021 results now publicly available

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs), with the most recent REF exercise being completed by HEIs in March 2021. The main purpose of the REF is to: provide accountability for public investment in research provide benchmarking information and establish reputational […]

Build-up to REF2021 results month!

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs), with the most recent REF exercise being completed and submitted by HEIs across the UK in March 2021. Exactly four weeks from today, institutions will find out (under embargo) how they fared in this latest […]

REF submission – March 2021 and post-REF plans

Our final submission to the REF2021 exercise is fast approaching, but what are the plans for impact post-REF? The University considers research impact not as a means to an end, but as a public good in itself and our researchers have a duty to demonstrate impact from our research. This is particularly important for research […]

REF 2021: Updated internal deadlines for 2021

As has been communicated over the past few months, the REF2021 final deadline has been moved to midday 31 March 2021. This takes into account the period of disruption during 2020 because of Covid-19. The UoS REF team are working hard to ensure that we meet this deadline in good time and have been coordinating […]

REF submission deadline 31 March 2021 : Update

The recommencement of REF 2021 marks the start of the countdown to the revised submission deadline of midday, 31 March 2021, following a period during which the exercise was on hold in response to COVID-19. As a result, our internal deadlines have moved and we are now working full steam ahead towards our new submission […]

‘Impact’ on Impact Preparations for REF2021

There is currently still some uncertainty around revised dates for REF2021. What we know at this stage is that the final REF2021 submission deadline has been moved from 27 November 2020 to some point in 2020, but this will be 31 March 2020 at the earliest. The REF2021 impact generation period was originally set to […]

Guidance on Impact Evidence Collection for REF2021

Now that the time for generating impact is drawing to a close (cut-off for impact generation for inclusion in case studies is 31 July 2020), focus should be turning towards the collection and collation of evidence to corroborate the impacts being claimed. One main source of impact evidence that many of our case study leads […]

REF2021 Countdown to Submission

Calling all impact case study leads! We are now fast approaching REF2021 submission and with this in mind, we would like to remind colleagues of the impact case study deadlines that we are working to for the remainder of 2020: Internal Peer Review  – March/April 2020 Revised draft of impact case studies submitted late February/early […]

Impact Case Study Resource Fund 2019/20

Based on REF2014 data, a 4* impact case study is estimated to be worth at least £324,000 to an institution in QR funding over the course of the REF cycle. This is the equivalent value of around 5 to 6 outputs. Given that the weighting for impact has increased in REF2021 from 20% to 25% […]

Guidance on collecting impact evidence

If you are looking to generate impact from your research, please ensure that you engage from the start with the University Impact, Engagement and Environment Coordinator, Emma Sutton, and your School Impact Coordinator** so that the impact can be tracked and evidenced on an ongoing basis. Key points to consider when you start a new […]