1. Professor Nick Plant Dean of Research Quality and Impact January 2018
Why does impact matter?
Professor Nick Plant
Dean of Research Quality and Impact
January 2018

2. ? Background Knowledge Education Exchange Research
Three missions central to a University
Measured by three exercises
Useful for (a) ranking, (b) demonstrating value for money, and (c) driving excellence
Knowledge
Exchange
Education
Research ?

3. Background - REF
REF replaced RAE as the main UK-wide research assessment exercise
Approximately 6-year cycle
Feeds into league tables
Generates approx. £30M QR (quality related) funding p.a.
Generates considerably more indirectly

4. What will be assessed in REF2021?
Impact
An effect on, change or benefit beyond academia
Economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life
Timeframe:
Number : 1 per 15FTE
Outputs
60%
Impact
25%
Environment
15%
Planes and wind: MET wind gust prediction, saved five flight diversions per year at an estimated cost saving of £1.25 million at Mount Pleasant Airport in the Falkland Islands.
Avacta reported revenue of over £3 million in 2012 and employs 70 staff.
+5%
Impact template
-5%

5. Are we any good at impact?
Impact was strong in our REF2014 submissions
REF2021 staff profile is based on ACAD number in IRIS and division by UoA dependent on mapping to REF2014 submissions
MAX delta – UoA1 Clinical Medicine (77FTE)
MAX 2014/21 – UoA1 Clinical Medicine (91/168FTE)
Delta 2014 vs 2021 funding scheme is ~£272K p.a. (i.e. less than 1% of total QR funding)
Incomes based on 2015/16 figures from HEFCE. REF2021 prediction presumes no change in the funding algorithm/amount, and just reflects the change in weighting between REF2014 and REF2021
We have breadth and depth – we submitted to the largest number of UoAs from the Russell Group

6. Does it matter if we are good at impact?
For REF each impact case study determines
Considerable QR funding
Equates to a good number of outputs of the same rating
Comparing value of outputs to impact in REF2014 (REF2021 estimate)
MAX = 7.6 (~13)
AVERAGE = 4.6 (~8)
They are also visible signs of how we shape the world
And they give us great job satisfaction

7. not the other way around
So is it all about REF?
Impact drives REF
not the other way around
Knowledge
Exchange
Education
Impact
Research