The four UK higher education funding bodies confirm the pause in the criteria setting and publication of final guidance for REF 2029 for a short period, as announced by the UK Science Minister Lord Vallance today at the Universities UK conference. The funding bodies, who jointly own the REF as a UK-wide programme of national research assessment, will use this opportunity to take stock, ensure alignment with government priorities and vision for higher education, and reflect on feedback from the sector. REF will announce any changes to the exercise by December 2025.
The REF team will engage further with the sector in the coming months, with a view to finalising the approach to REF 2029 on the original timeline. Although the overall REF timetable will not be delayed, the pause will affect certain milestones, including a delay to the publication of guidance modules and the REF 2029 Code of Practice approval process. We will be in touch with institutional REF contacts about impacted Code of Practice submission windows. The REF team is working through options and implications of the pause and will publish an updated timetable when the pause concludes.
Every opportunity will be taken to simplify, streamline and reduce burden on the sector. Outcomes of the recently concluded pilot assessment that examined ‘People, culture and environment’ will be taken into account. The pilot report on the People, Culture and Environment element of REF 2029, which summarises submissions from higher education institutions, will be now be published by the end of October. Policy decisions and guidance will be communicated following the pause.
The four UK higher education funding bodies will announce the appointment of panel members later today for the criteria-setting phase of REF 2029. The REF team is bringing panel members on board so that, following the pause announced today, criteria setting can begin as soon as the framework has been finalised.
Note to editors
Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercises are run by the REF team managed by Research England on behalf of the UK’s four higher education funding bodies:
- Research England
- Scottish Funding Council
- Medr, Wales’ Commission for Tertiary Education and Research
- Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland