Research Excellence Framework (REF)

REF 2014

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the new system for assessing research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs). It replaces the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).The REF will be undertaken by the four UK higher education funding bodies, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and the Department for Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland (DEL). The exercise will be managed by the REF team based at HEFCE and overseen by the REF Steering Group, consisting of representatives of the four UK higher education funding bodies.

Through the REF, the UK funding bodies aim to develop and sustain a dynamic and internationally competitive research sector that makes a major contribution to economic prosperity, national wellbeing and the expansion and dissemination of knowledge.

The REF will be a process of expert review. Institutions will be invited to make submissions to 36 units of assessment (UOAs). The submissions will be assessed by an expert sub-panel to be established for each UOA, working under the guidance of four main panels to ensure common procedures and consistent application of the overall assessment standards.

Under the current plans for the REF, three distinct elements will be assessed for each submission: the quality of research outputs, the wider impact of research, and the vitality of the research environment. Output quality will be the dominant element, with a significant weighting for each of the other elements.

REF 2014 Equality Code of Practice

QMU is committed to encouraging the submission of all of its excellent researchers to REF, including those whose volume of research output may have been limited for reasons covered by the Equality Act 2010. QMU’s submission to REF is informed by an overarching consistent policy of equality and inclusion and a detailed Equality Code of Practice has been developed and approved by the SFC to underpin this.   The development and implementation of this Code of Practice is a requirement of the funding bodies. 

QMU RAE 2008 results

For information on our submission and RAE 2008 results click here