The PSA and BISA have produced a joint working paper on output diversity in REF29, entitled, ‘Cultivating conformity or promoting pluralism?: The politics of output diversity for the Politics and International Studies Panel (UoA19) in REF2029’.
Find out more and read this joint paper.
PSA Vice-President, and PSA Founding Fellow, Professor Matthew Flinders (University of Sheffield) and PSA member and recent PSA Academic Prize winner Ailsa Henderson (University of Edinburgh) have been appointed Chair and Deputy Chair respectively of the REF2029 sub-panel for our discipline (Unit of Assessment 19).
On learning of this appointment, Professor Flinders said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed chair of the Politics and International Studies sub-panel, and I’m looking forward to working with the PSA and other leading learned societies and associations to navigate not only the challenges but also the opportunities that REF2029 might bring to the discipline.”
Professor Henderson added: “I’m very pleased to return to the UoA19 sub-panel, this time as deputy chair. It was a tremendous privilege last REF to be able to read the publications and impact generated by UK colleagues across a range of sub-disciplines and I’m very much looking forward to working with sub-panel colleagues to undertake the REF2029 review.”
The PSA wishes Matt and Ailsa all the best in their important new roles and in their work to appoint their panel members over summer 2025.
You can read more about the REF2029 panel appointments here: Appointments made to lead REF 2029’s 34 Sub-Panels – REF 2029
You can find out more about Professors Flinders and Henderson here:
Ailsa Henderson | School of Social and Political Science
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s evaluation system for assessing the quality of research in UK Higher Education institutions (HEIs). It was first conducted in 2014 and again in 2021. The REF is undertaken by a dedicated team on behalf of the four UK higher education funding bodies: Research England, the Scottish Funding Council, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland.
REF outcomes inform the allocation of around £2bn of block-grant research funding to HEIs each year (based on research quality).
The last REF took place in 2021 (with outcomes published in May 2022). For REF21 Politics & IR (19) was one of 34 ‘Units of Assessment’. The next REF was originally intended to take place in 2028. Following an announcement in December 2023, this date has now been put back to 2029. Planning for REF 2029 is now underway.
In June 2023, the REF team announced its high-level design for this next exercise. This included important changes to the model employed for REF2021:
1. Composition of those included in a Unit of Assessment
REF 2029 will break from the identification of research outputs with individual researchers submitted to the exercise within their Units of Research. Instead a volume measure of all researchers and research-enabling staff with significant responsibility for research will be calculated as the average FTE within the Unit for eligible staff. Units will be required to submit 2.5x outputs for every 1.0 FTE of volume-contributing staff. There will be no minimum or maximum contribution from any individual within the Unit.
2. Redesign and re-weighting of the elements of assessment, as follows
People, Culture and Environment (25% weighting), replacing the environment element of REF 2014 and 2021, and will be expanded to include an assessment of research culture.
Contribution to knowledge and understanding (50% weighting), broadening the ‘outputs’ element of REF 2014 and 2021. Assessment will continue to be largely based on submitted outputs, but at least 10% of the profile will be based on evidence of broader contributions to discipline.
Engagement and impact (25% weighting), replacing the ‘impact’ elements of REF 2014 and 2021, and combining both impact case studies and an accompanying statement on engagement activity beyond case studies.
Our REF response was led by PSA Vice-President Professor Matt Flinders who set out his thoughts and analysis in these blogs:
In June 2023, the REF team invited responses to its high-level design for the next assessment exercise. This design and review phase is the Future Research Assessment Programme, known as FRAP. Responses were invited to specific questions on aspects of the design, while noting that many aspects of REF 2029 (including those set out above) were not open for discussion.
In October 2023, the Political Studies Association issued its response: HERE
We also contributed to the response made by the Academy of Social Science: Academy of Social Sciences’ response to Research Excellence Framework 2028 consultation – Academy of Social Sciences (acss.org.uk)
On 7 December the REF team issued a first update on its decisions after the Summer 2023 consultation exercise. In addition to postponing the date of the next REF to 2029, this update noted the following:
HESA data will be used to determine Volume Measure in the manner set out in the recent consultation exercise
Breaking the link between individual staff member and unit submission, including removing minimum and maximum outputs submitted by specific individuals, will go ahead
Further guidance will be issued on the ‘demonstrable and substantive link’ between an eligible output and the submitting institution within the REF period
Outputs sole-authored by PGR students, including PhD theses, will not be eligible for submission, nor will those produced by individuals employed on contracts with no research-related expectations
The overall Unit of Assessment structure for REF 2029 will remain unchanged from REF 2021
The minimum number of Impact Case Studies that an institution can submit per disciplinary submission will be reduced to one, with the removal of the 2* quality threshold.
On 18 March 2024, the four UK higher education funding bodies opened a consultation concerning the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029 Open Access Policy. The purpose of the REF 2029 Open Access Policy is to outline open access requirements for the exercise.
The ‘policy aims to embed progress in the sector for open access submission for journal publications. It also introduces an open access requirement for longform publications.’ The consultation sought ‘to gather a deeper understanding of sector perspectives on key issues and impacts in relation to our policy proposals.’
The PSA recently responded to a consultation on the REF 2029 Open Access (OA) Policy, which looks to extend open-access requirements to longform publications and to shorten the embargo periods that apply to journal articles. Read the response here. For a comprehensive view of this matter, you can refer to the British Academy’s Position Paper on Open Access and the REF.
In August 2024, the REF 2029 team published its early position following this consultation (with a final policy statement expected in later in the year):
The final Open Access policy was published in December 2024: REF 2029 Open Access Policy and Consultation and Engagement summary published – REF 2029
Current timetable for REF2029 (and subject to change)
2025: Complete preparation of submission systems
2026: Final full guidance is set
2028: Submission deadline /Assessment phase begins
2029: Publication of results
On 14 October 2024, the REF 2029 Team announced the membership of the Research Diversity Advisory Panel (RDAP) and the People and Diversity Advisory Panel (PDAP) (you can see the full membership here: Membership confirmed for REF advisory panels – REF 2029
Professor Alis Oancea will Chair the REF 2029 Research Diversity Advisory Panel (RDAP). Alis Oancea is Professor of Philosophy of Education and Research Policy and Social Sciences Division Advocate for Responsible Engagement, Impact and Innovation at the University of Oxford.
Professor Simon Macklin will Chair of the REF 2029 People and Diversity Advisory Panel (PDAP). With 25 years of experience in diversity and inclusion across three countries, Simon has held a variety of senior roles in higher education, most recently as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University for the Creative Arts.
The RDAP will develop strategies to support the equitable recognition of diverse forms of research within REF 2029 development, delivery and assessment. The PDAP will develop strategies to support recognition of a diversity of roles, careers and career stages within REF 2029 development, delivery, and assessment and to advance equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) throughout REF 2029.
REF 2029 will deliver an expanded definition of research excellence, recognising the wide range of research, roles and people that are essential to the vitality of the UK’s vibrant research system. The two panels are expected to collaborate as the process continues.
The REF 2029 team made a number of announcements and calls to action during December 2024 including confirming the chairs of the four main panels including University of Southampton’s Professor Jane Falkingham who will chair Main Panel C: Social Sciences: Chairs confirmed for the four REF 2029 main panels – REF 2029
Applications for expert roles on the ub-panel members has a later deadline of 28 April 2025.
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