University selected to take part in Research Excellence Framework pilot exercise
The University of Huddersfield has been selected to take part in a Research Excellence Framework pilot exercise which will help shape the next assessment in 2029.
A total of 40 higher education institutions have been chosen to participate in the People, Culture and Environment (PCE) pilot exercise.
Participating institutions will make submissions to at least one of the pilot Units of Assessment (UoAs) with many institutions making submissions to multiple.
The aim is to enable a broad understanding of the differences in subject areas as well as to gather evidence on the administrative effort required for the assessment of PCE in the next REF exercise.
What is the Research Excellence Framework or REF?
The Research Excellence Framework is the system used for assessing research quality in UK higher education institutions and generally takes place every six or seven years.
The assessment itself is carried out by a panel of experts working on behalf of the four UK higher education funding bodies, with the results used to allocate research funding and assess the quality of a university’s research.
The most recent submission was in 2021, which saw the University of Huddersfield ranked in the top third nationally for research power. Huddersfield has risen through the ranks to reach the top 50 out of a total of 157 institutions.
The University’s key achievements in REF 2021 saw more than two thirds of its research portfolio classed as world-leading and internationally renowned and was also among the top 20 universities for increasing research power.
Professor Parik Goswami, Director of Research, Innovation, and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Huddersfield, commented: “We are thrilled to be part of the REF pilot programme. This opportunity underscores our commitment to excellence in research and innovation, and we look forward to contributing valuable insights that will shape the future of higher education.”
How will REF 2029 differ from the last framework?
It comes as the REF Team announced the membership of the PCE pilot panels. REF 2029 will deliver an expanded definition of research excellence, recognising the wide range of research, roles, and people that are essential to the vitality of the UK’s vibrant research system.
A key part of this expanded definition is the development of the PCE element. Announced in January 2024, the pilot exercise aims to explore the practicality of submission and assessment of various elements of PCE, which will be carried out by the panels.
In the pilot, a broad sample of 40 higher education institutions will produce submissions for assessment in a selection of REF UoAs, covering Medicine, Health and Life Sciences; Physical Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics; Social Sciences and Arts and Humanities – and it is this exercise that the University of Huddersfield will be involved in.
Participating institutions will be expected to give input on the following: the level of effort and staff time that went into the preparation of each submission; what worked well and what could be improved; which indicators were straightforward to work with and which were problematic; and what (if any) other indicators not tested in the pilot should also be considered.
These submissions will be assessed by the PCE pilot panels with the whole pilot exercise overseen by the REF Steering Group.