Research Excellence Framework
44% of the university’s research was classified as world-leading or internationally excellent
What is the Research Excellence Framework?
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the exercise for assessing research in the UK and is carried out every six or seven years. The REF was first conducted in 2014, and replaced the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).
The team managing the REF on behalf of the UK higher education funding councils is located in Research England, forming part of UK Research & Innovation. Since mid-2017, guidance has been published for the next assessment phase, REF 2021.
Find out more on the REF 2021 website
Find out what REF means to you (key questions for academics and researchers
Coronavirus (COVID-19) contingency planning
It was announced that the revised submission deadline for the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) is confirmed as noon, 31 March 2021, for all elements of submissions.
Find out more on the REF 2021 website
University of Gloucestershire Code of Practice
As part of the preparations for the Research Excellence Framework 2021 all UK universities had to submit a Code of Practice to the REF Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel (EDAP) for approval.
The University of Gloucestershire Code of Practice has now been approved and sets out the University of Gloucestershire’s approach to the REF2021 determination of eligible staff and selection of outputs for submission to the Research Excellence Framework 2021.
Specifically, it sets out how the University fairly, and in a transparent, consistent, accountable and inclusive way, goes about:
- Determining eligible staff (i.e. those with significant responsibility for research);
- Determining who is an independent researcher;
- Selecting research outputs.
If you have questions about the Code of Practice, you can contact REF2021@glos.ac.uk.
Appeals process and staff circumstances
Included in the Code of Practice are details of the appeals process and voluntary declaration of staff circumstances.
Contacting us about REF 2021
If you have any questions regarding REF at the University of Gloucestershire, please contact one of our institutional contacts.
University of Gloucestershire REF 2014 outcome
The University is proud of its performance in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, achieving a significant improvement in the proportion of research assessed as 4* (world-leading) or 3* (internationally excellent).
In all six of the university’s submissions to the REF more than 25% of the work was recognised as internationally excellent or world leading.
Find out more and view the REF 2014 results on the REF website.