We have reached a milestone in the University’s preparations for the next Research Excellence Framework exercise, REF2021. On 16 August 2019, the institutional REF2021 Code of Practice received formal approval from the Scottish Funding Council and the REF2021 Equality and Diversity Panel (EDAP).REF2021 logo 650

The REF is the framework for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. Performance in REF2021 will have significant consequences for the University of Glasgow, both for the amount of funding we receive from the Scottish Funding Council via the Research Excellence Grant, and for our research reputation.

The approved Code of Practice can be found here. It sets out how we will (i) identify staff with significant responsibility for research and who are therefore REF-eligible; (ii) determine who is an independent researcher; and (iii) determine how outputs will be selected for submission, including how we will handle circumstances that have constrained an individual’s ability to work productively throughout the REF cycle and how staff with such circumstances will be supported. REF-eligible staff have been contacted by e-mail and encouraged to declare any applicable circumstances through a secure online form.

Further information on REF2021 and on the University’s preparations is available at http://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/research/ref/.


First published: 13 September 2019