References on this page refer to the paragraph numbers within the 'Guidance on submissions' (GOS) and the 'Panel criteria and working methods' (PC).
Staff groups eligible for submission to REF2021 are described in Part 3 of the 'Guidance on Submissions'. The REF Staffing Panel will review the data that the University of Greenwich has about staff and make a decision as to the eligibility for submission to the REF2021.
Staff Categories
Category A Eligible describes staff meeting the core eligibility criteria who will form the total pool of eligible staff (GOS 117). These are:
- academic staff on a 'research-only' or 'teaching and research' contract AND
- have a contract of employment of 0.2 FTE or greater AND
- will be employed by the submitting institution on the census date of 31 July 2020
Staff on 'research-only' contracts (research-specialist pathway) have to satisfy a further criterion relating to independence (see below).
Category A Submitted describes Category A Eligible staff who have been identified as having significant responsibility for research on the census date of 31 July 2020, and therefore must be submitted to REF 2021 (GOS 135-137). This differs from REF 2014 wherein institutions were free to choose which eligible staff to submit. Staff with significant responsibility for research are defined by the funding bodies as those "for whom explicit time and resources are made available to engage actively in independent research, and that this is an expectation of their job role" (GOS 138-144). As outlined in our Code of Practice, at the University of Greenwich, this includes:
- on a Research Career Pathway AND
- have a reasonable percentage allocation (greater than 20%) to carry out research through the balanced workload model (or equivalent in the case of NRI)
- AND are able to actively engage in independent research
Research Independence: Staff on 'research-only' contracts must be independent researchers to meet the definition of Category A Eligible. Provided that they meet the other core eligibility criteria, then all independent researchers must be submitted to REF 2021 (GOS 128). An independent researcher is defined as "an individual who undertakes self-directed research, rather than carrying out another individual's research programme" (GOS 131-133).
Substantive research connection
To prevent game-playing whereby some institutions employ overseas staff on short-term fractional contracts to boost their output profile, staff on minimum fractional contracts (0.20 to 0.29 FTE) on the census date must be submitted with a statement describing their substantive connection to the submitting institution. Where this cannot be demonstrated, then the outputs of the individual will be removed. The guidance provides a range of indicators that might evidence a substantive connection. This does not apply to staff who have a minimum fractional contract due to caring or other personal circumstances, are approaching retirement, or is normal discipline practice (GOS 123-127).
FAQs
For more FAQs relating to staff, please visit the REF2021 website for an up-to-date list.
What is the census date for staff? The date on which staff must be in post at the submitting institution and meet the eligibility criteria to be returned as Category A Submitted staff is 31 July 2020.
Can we submit former staff? Yes. We can submit former staff where we are including some of their outputs that were first published while they were employed as a Category A Eligible member of staff at this institution. However, their FTE will not be included in the denominator for the number of outputs and impact case studies required.
Do former staff contribute to the FTE submitted? No. They do not contribute to the FTE denominator for the number of outputs and impact case studies required.
Can we submit Category C staff? No, although their contribution can be captured through the environment element.
Can we submit staff that hold joint appointments (e.g. between the University and the NHS)? Yes.
Can we submit staff on secondment?Yes, although we may not be able to submit any staff that have been recruited to cover for them.