Applications for the main panel chair roles have now closed
There are four main panels which oversee the REF assessment, ensuring the assessment criteria and standards are consistently applied. The main panels provide leadership and guidance to a group of sub-panels in the following areas:
- Main panel A: Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
- Main panel B: Physical Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics
- Main panel C: Social Sciences
- Main panel D: Arts and Humanities
REF 2029 will retain the REF 2021 Unit of Assessment (UoA) structure with four main panels and 34 sub-panels, one for each UoA.
In the final selection of the four main panel chairs, we will aim to secure a spread of experience and expertise, including:
- regionality and across the UK nations
- institutions
- institution type
Role of the main panel chair
The role of each main panel chair is to:
- undertake an ambassadorial role for REF 2029 in the sector
- work and advise on the development and delivery of the exercise with the other main panel chairs, providing advice to the REF team and Steering Group
- play a key role in recruiting and developing the REF main panels and sub-panels
- provide visible leadership for the REF panels
- hold overall responsibility for delivering the main panel responsibilities
We will provide a draft terms of reference to the panel chairs for agreement on appointment.
Ways of working
We anticipate that panel meetings will be a mix of face-to-face and virtual. Face-to-face meetings will be held where needed, for example to establish relationships or to conclude a section of work. Virtual meetings will be used where possible to improve accessibility, provide flexibility and to reduce costs and burden. The frequency of meetings will vary dependent on the point in the REF cycle.
Decision-making
The main panel chair will make any final decision on matters that fall within their panel’s responsibilities. The chair will base those decisions on the balanced view of the panel (deputy chair and panel members), their own perspective and the aims of REF 2029.The chair’s decision making must be informed by encouraging open and diverse perspectives from the panels.
Time commitment
We estimate that main panel chairs will need to commit approximately 40 to 60 days of time over the course of the REF exercise. The concentration of time commitment will vary over the course of the REF and we expect this to split approximately into one third for the criteria setting and two thirds for the assessment phase. More detail about the two phases can be found in the main panel responsibilities. We anticipate the role of the main panel chairs will commence in November 2024 and will finish in March 2030.
Payment
All main panel chairs will be paid an honorarium for the role which applies across the duration of the REF.
Payment for main panel chairs is £14,500 total:
- criteria setting phase: £4,800
- assessment phase: £9,700
Apply for the main panel chair role
Applications for the main panel chair roles have now closed
To apply for a main panel chair role, please complete the application form. You will need to complete the form in one go so we have listed a summary of the questions so you can prepare your answers. We have also included details of the criteria we will use for selection with each bullet point showing a criterion that will be scored.
If you successfully apply to act as a REF 2029 advisory panel member, and a main panel chair, you will be required to choose one of the roles to take up. It will not be possible to hold both positions.
We anticipate that shortlisted candidates will be interviewed between 7 and 11 October 2024. Please note that these dates are estimations and may vary.
The four UK higher education funding bodies will make the final decision on all appointments. All panel appointments will be required to conduct themselves in line with the Seven Principles of Public Life.
We will shortlist for interview based on the evidence provided in your application form. Please give examples of how you meet each of the bullet points within each criterion. We welcome transferable skills from comparable experiences that may come from different sectors or internationally. We welcome diverse demonstrations of these criteria and recognise that relevant experiences may vary across groups.
In the application form you will be asked to outline the following areas with a maximum of 400 words for each numbered section.
- Your leadership experience relevant to the role
- A track record of leading diverse stakeholders to deliver high profile cross-sector, or international, initiatives or projects.
- A visible leader in your professional community with the ability to inspire confidence in the fairness and integrity of the assessment process.
- A track record of engaging and influencing outside of your professional community.
- Proven ability to lead and motivate a diverse group of senior experts to reach consensus, in a complex and challenging environment.
- Your knowledge and understanding relevant to the role
- Broad knowledge of the relevant main panel area.
- Strong understanding of the aims of the REF assessment, criteria setting process, framework and procedures.
- Knowledge and strategic understanding of the UK higher education sector and the role of the REF in the funding landscape.
- Understanding of the range of audiences for research and its use or application beyond the academic sphere.
- Broad knowledge of equality and diversity issues in research fields relevant to the main panel.
- Your experience relevant to the role
- Previous experience of a comparable nature to a REF or RAE panel leadership or membership position or equivalent senior experience in other forms of peer review, research assessment or international equivalents.
- Experience working in a research leadership position at a national or international level relevant to the main panel area.
- Experience in leading large complex national or international projects and delivering high-quality outcomes under pressure.
- Your skills relevant to the role
- Chairing prominent groups, of comparable nature, to negotiate and balance perspectives to deliver outcomes through inclusive and collaborative panel meetings.
- Making high profile decisions through balancing options and impacts for multiple stakeholders, with an understanding of the strategic context and external pressures.
- Providing advice on research assessment issues in specific discipline areas.
- Your motivations for applying for the role
- Committed to the aims of the panel and the successful delivery of REF 2029.
- Committed to fair and rigorous responsible research assessment.
- A commitment to the health of the research sector and its diversity of disciplines.
- Able and willing to commit the necessary time required to successfully deliver the main panel chair role and the REF 2029 exercise.
Please email info@ref.ac.uk for further information, using the subject ‘Main panel chair recruitment’.