The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s system for assessing the excellence of research in UK higher education providers (HEIs). The REF outcomes are used to inform the allocation of around £2 billion per year of public funding for universities’ research.
The REF was first carried out in 2014, replacing the previous Research Assessment Exercise. Research England manages the REF on behalf of all four UK higher education funding bodies:
- Research England
- Scottish Funding Council
- Medr, Wales’ Commission for Tertiary Education and Research
- Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland
The funding bodies’ shared policy aim for research assessment is to secure a world-class, dynamic and responsive research base across the full academic spectrum within UK higher education.
The REF objectives are to:
- provide accountability for public investment in research and produce evidence of the benefits of this investment
- provide benchmarking information and establish reputational yardsticks, for use in the higher education sector and for public information
- inform the selective allocation of funding for research