Ahead of the HEFCE technical consultation on implementation of the Research Excellence Framework (REF), the PSA-BISA Working Group on REF 2020 has published its response to the Stern Reviews proposals.
Many of the proposals come as welcome developments, particularly the inclusion of positions put forward by the PSA-BISA Working Group in March: – the continuation of peer review; the importance of continuing the block grant system; support for incremental change; and the importance of addressing the perversities of the existing system, especially in terms of interdisciplinary research.
However the Group calls for greater attention to be paid to the potential interaction of future REF and TEF frameworks, and has identified the following key proposals by the Stern review as requiring more careful consideration as HEFCE is developing its position:
a) All research-active staff should be submitted
b) Outputs should be submitted on the basis of a set average number per FTE with some flexibility for researchers to submit more or fewer than the average
c) Outputs are not portable – once an output has been accepted, it belongs to the specific institution
d) Move to institutional level impact case studies
e) Wider definition of impact
f) Move to a double-environment statement
g) A more strategic and imaginative use of the REF should be made by the Government and UKRI
More information on these key areas, and the full PSA-BISA response are available to download here.
