HEFCE engaged the sector in a wide consultation during 2016/17 following the publication of the STERN Review. Over 380 responses were received which informed a number of early decisions regarding some of the principles of REF2021.
HEFCE Publication REF2017/01 - Initial Decisions on the Research Excellence Framework 2021
- As far as possible there will be continuity between REF2014 and 2021 in terms of overall objectives, principles and the use of expert review panels and sub-panels organised through a similar number of Units of Assessment (UoA).
- In order to promote interdisciplinary research and enhanced the quality of its assessment, at least one member of each UoA panel will have the role of overseeing interdisciplinary research and liaise with other UoA. There will be a non-mandatory field in the output submission to identify this type of outputs and a section in the environmental template to describe measures in support of interdisciplinary research.
- A reserve output may be submitted in order to replace preferred outputs to be published after the submission deadline that fail to be published in time.
- Metrics will be used to inform the assessment where panels consider this appropriate. This data will be procured and provided to the panels by the central team in a standardised manner.
- Widened guidance on the submission of impact, particularly in relation to impacts on teaching. No changes in relation to impact being underpinned by 2* research excellence carried out at the submitting institution between 1/1/2000 and 31/12/2020. The impact template will no longer be assessed separately. In its place there will be a section in the UoA Environment template. There will be a more structured Impact Case Study Template incorporating standardised information and the provision of audit evidence. Case studies which continue from previously submitted cases will be allowed as long as additional impact has been achieved and evidenced in the new REF period.
- The UoA Environment template will be more structured and will contain metric data. It will contain mandatory sections on Open Research, and institutional level information.
- There will be a pilot exercise on the assessment of institutional environment and impact case studies.
- There will be a single UoA for Engineering, which will allow multiple submissions.
- The UoA for Geography and Environmental Sciences (UoA 14 in REF21) will be separate from Archaeology (UoA 15 in REF21).
- Film and Screen Studies will be included in the name of the UoA 33: Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies
The weights of the relative components of REF2021 will be:
- Outputs: 60%
- Impact: 25%
- Environment: 15%