Research Excellence Framework (REF)
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a periodic peer assessment of the quality of research in UK Higher Education Institutions across all disciplines.
This assessment is designed:
- To inform the allocation of block-grant research funding to HEIs based on research quality
- To provide accountability for public investment in research and produce evidence of the benefits of this investment
- To provide insights into the health of research in HEIs in the UK
The next Research Excellence Framework, REF2029, will assess the period from 2021 to 2028 with outcomes published in 2029. The University is currently preparing its submission for REF2029.
In the last assessment, REF2021, the University built on its achievements in REF2014 (which showed the University to be most improved in the UK on the measure of research power). The University submitted 162 staff to 12 Units of Assessment, a 46% increase on staff submitted to REF2014. The outcomes also showed an overall increase in the quality of our research with a 12% increase in our Grade Point Average and an increase in the proportion of world-leading and internationally excellent research from 33% to 42%.
There were particular successes in Allied Health, Nursing and Midwifery where almost a quarter of submitted outputs were deemed world-leading; in Psychology where nearly three quarters of outputs were identified as world-leading or internationally excellent; and in History where over 80% of the submission was recognised as world leading or internationally excellent. The results also highlighted outstanding impacts in Art and Design and very significant impacts, for example, in community-based support for people living with dementia and for the development of measures to enhance cyber security for businesses.
For more details, see our full REF2021 results.
It was a requirement that each institution submitting to REF2021 developed a Code of Practice in consultation with academic. This Code sets out the institutional approach to ensuring equality of opportunity in REF 2021 decision-making processes.
Our Code of Practice for Research Excellence Framework 2021 was approved by Research England.