1. The future of the REF: view from HEFCE
Steven Hill
Head of Research Policy
British Academy of Management
27 April 2016

2. Summary UK research policy landscape Organisational structures Funding
Research assessment
Future REF – the Funding Body view

3. Summary UK research policy landscape Organisational structures Funding
Research assessment
Future REF – the Funding Body view

4. 21 days in November 2015…

5. Organisational structures
known
uncertain
The Dual Support system will remain
New body – Research UK – to ‘work across’ the 7 research councils
Innovate UK’s functions to be integrated within Research UK
Future of HEFCE
Status of existing research councils
Body responsible for block grant funding in England
Powers of R-UK CEO and Board
Possible new ministerial committee overseeing R-UK

6. Funding known uncertain
Resource budget (£4.7bn p.a.) protected in real terms until 2019/20…
…but includes new Global Challenge Fund (£1.5bn over 5 years)
Innovate UK budget maintained in cash terms (with some grants-to-loans swap)
Capital expenditure of £6.9bn ( )
Allocations to individual research councils and block grant funding in England
Allocation to Research UK
Full details of Global Challenge Fund

7. Green paper

8. Spending review

9. REF review call for evidence - questions
Increased efficiency, broader impact definition, use of metrics?
More institution level assessment?
Use of outcomes by institutions?
Use of outcomes by Funders and Government?
Incentivising interdisciplinary work and collaboration?
Negative unintended consequences; game-playing?
Sustaining positive influences?
Future planning of institutions and use of funding?

10. Research assessment known uncertain There will be another REF by 2021
REF2021 will involve peer review…
…and include assessment of societal impact
There will be a REF review, led by Lord Stern, reporting in summer 2016
Detail of the operation of REF2021
Intermediate exercise involving metrics?

11. Summary UK research policy landscape Organisational structures Funding
Research assessment
Future REF – the Funding Body view

12. REF: the evidence

13. “We propose an overall approach that is based upon the framework implemented in REF 2014, subject to refinements that may be made in the areas set out in this consultation, as informed by responses.”

14. Consultation issues Refinements to UOA structure
Representativeness of panels/panel recruitment
Staff selection and link to outputs
Unique identifier (ORCID)
Collaboration
Interdisciplinary research

15. REF and interdisciplinarity: options
Champions for interdisciplinarity on subpanels
Distribution of staff/outputs across subpanels
Mandatory use of interdisciplinary research flag
Explicit coverage in Environment element

16. Consultation issues Refinements to UOA structure
Representativeness of panels/panel recruitment
Staff selection and link to outputs
Unique identifier (ORCID)
Collaboration
Interdisciplinary research
Additional metrics for outputs (where appropriate)
Impact

17. Impact and future REF
A detailed evaluation was conducted on this new element of the exercise, delivering a range of detailed insights and recommendations.
Some of the key issues identified through evaluation activity:
Rules and the representativeness of impacts (including ‘portability’)
Burden and cost
Impact template
Ratio of case studies to staff submitted
Challenges of and panel access to evidence
Lack of granularity in scoring
Continuing impact

18. Consultation issues Refinements to UOA structure
Representativeness of panels/panel recruitment
Staff selection and link to outputs
Unique identifier (ORCID)
Collaboration
Interdisciplinary research
Additional metrics for outputs (where appropriate)
Impact
Increased structure/quantitative data in Environment
Weighting of Outputs, Impact and Environment
Timetable (including more alignment of dates)

19. Summary UK research policy landscape Organisational structures Funding
Research assessment
Future REF – the Funding Body view

20. Thank you for listening
@stevenhill