Research Excellence Framework

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013.^[1][2] REF is undertaken by the four UK higher education funding bodies: Research England, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE).

Its stated aims are to:

• inform the allocation of block-grant research funding to HEIs based on research quality;
• provide accountability for public investment in research and produce evidence of the benefits of this investment; and
• provide insights into the health of research in HEIs in the UK.^[3]

Critics argue, inter alia, that there is too much focus on the impact of research outside of the university system, and that impact has no real relevance to the quality of research.^{[citation needed]} It is suggested that REF actually encourages mediocrity in published research, and discourages research which might have value in the long term.^{[citation needed]} It has repeatedly been argued that REF does more harm than good to higher education.^[4]

The latest REF was in 2021, with results released in May 2022, continuing the previous assessment model of focusing on research outputs, research impact and research environment.^[5] This process was slightly delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[6]

In June 2023, it was announced that the next exercise would conclude in 2028, with submissions in 2027.^[7]