Research Excellence Framework consultation

Preparations for the next Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment are underway.

REF is a robust and internationally-recognised exercise to measure the quality of UK university research.

It is conducted jointly by Research England (RE), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE). It is managed by the REF team, based at RE, on behalf of the four UK HE funding bodies.

REF2014 saw Leeds ranked in the UK's top ten universities for research and impact power.

Work towards REF2021 has now begun, with submission due in November 2020.

Open meetings for all staff will be held during the coming months and will be advertised soon. These will cover various aspects of the University’s planning for REF and will provide an opportunity for staff to give feedback and get involved.

The funding councils have recently published draft documentation for consultation. The same REF2021 website provides information on the scope of the consultation.

The University’s response will be co-ordinated by the Research and Innovation Service. Please send any comments relating to the consultation exercise to the Quality and Policy Team at Leeds.

A total of 15 members of Leeds staff have been appointed to serve on the REF2021 panels during the assessment phase. Further panel appointments will be made in 2020.

Leeds appointments are:

Main Panel A

Sub-panel 1: Clinical Medicine – Professor Mark Hull

Sub-panel 4: Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience – Prof James Deuchars* and Professor Daryl O'Connor

Sub-panel 5: Biological Sciences – Professor Mark Harris

Sub-panel 6: Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science – Professor Gary Williamson

Main Panel B

Sub-panel 7: Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences – Professor Caroline Peacock

Sub-panel 9: Physics – Professor Helen Gleeson*

Sub-panel 10: Mathematical Sciences – Professor Jeanine Houwing-Duistermaat

Sub-panel 11: Computer Science and Informatics – Professor David Hogg

Sub-panel 12: Engineering – Professor Alison McKay and Professor Muhammed Basheer*

Main Panel C

Sub-panel 17: Business and Management Studies – Professor Mark Stuart

Sub-panel 18: Law – Professor Adam Crawford*

Main Panel D

Sub-panel 26: Modern Languages and Linguistics – Professor Stephanie Dennison

Sub-panel 32: Art and Design, History, Practice and Theory – Professor Griselda Pollock

* Also appointed for the criteria-setting phase (2018-19)

Please refer to the REF2021 website for further information, including panel membership.

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