The Research Excellence Framework

Briefing events for HEI contacts

21 May: Glasgow

23 May: Manchester

24 May: London

28 May: Cardiff

31 May: London

The submission phase

• Key priorities for the REF team are:

– Providing high quality communications to HEIs

– Delivering a robust submission system and effective technical support

– Carrying out an efficient audit to uphold confidence in the accuracy of submissions

– Ensuring that HEIs’ codes of practice adhere to the guidance

– Efficient collection and storage of research outputs

• We are also preparing for the assessment phase

HE institutions Panels

The REF team

Graeme Rosenberg REF Manager

Vicky JonesDeputy REF Manager

Kate BadgerREF Admin Manager

Anna DickinsonPolicy Adviser

T.b.a.Policy Adviser

Harriet HeeseTeam Administrator

Panel AdvisersPanel Secretaries

HEFCE IT & Systems teamHEFCE Analytical Services Group

Communications survey

Methods of communication % good

Guidance documents 95

E-mail alerts/updates 89

Other REF publications 88

REF briefings/events 87

Responsiveness to feedback 86

REF website 83

Responses to queries 78

FAQs 61

Overall quality of comms % good

Accessibility 96

Consistency 84

Clarity 81

Timeliness 78

• 106 HEIs responded to the survey – thankyou!

Communications survey (2)

• Main positive comments about:

– Key guidance docs: consistent, concise, clear

– Events and face-to-face contact

– Rapid responses to enquiries

– Regular e-mail alerts

• Main suggestions for improvement:

– Answer queries with more than published guidance

– Expand the FAQs

– Allow more than 2 HEI contacts

Further material

• Further material due on www.ref.ac.uk:

– More FAQs (ongoing)

– Audit and verification procedures (Jun)

– REF4 data (Jun)

– Contextual citation data (Jun)

– Confidentiality/data protection (Jun – Nov)

– Early assessor appointments (Jul)

– Survey of submission intentions (Jul)

– Brief guide for users (Jul)

– Outputs collection (Nov)

‘Pre-submissions’• Codes of practice

• Requests for multiple submissions or case studies requiring

security clearance

• Survey of submission intentions

Request by Response from REF team by

27 April 2012 8 June 2012

28 September 2012 9 November 2012

7 December 2012 18 January 2013

Submission by Response from funding body by

27 April 2012 6 July 2012

31 July 2012 12 October 2012

Invitation and guidance Online survey open

July 2012 Early Oct – early Dec 2012

Survey of submission intentions

• Accurate data will be important to identify appropriate assessors; and to assist with planning the assessment

• For each UOA you intend to submit in, provide:  

– Staff volume (headcount of Cat A + Cat C; FTE of Cat A)

– Statement of areas of impact (max 300 words)

– Whether involved in a joint submission

– Names of research specialisms, and for each:

> Staff volume (headcount of Cat A + Cat C)

> Languages other than English and no. of outputs

> Expected cross-referral requests (volume and UOAs)

Programme for the day

• Guidance and criteria:

– Walk through of the panel criteria with questions and discussion

• Submissions system:

– Demonstration of the REF submission system

• Data and audit:

– Collection of HESA and citation data

– Approach to audit and verification of submissions

Briefing sessions

Group A:Adams room

Group B:Williams room

Session 111:00 – 12:15

Guidance and criteriaMain Panel Chair & Graeme Rosenberg

Submission systemVicky Jones & Nick Soper

Session 213:10 – 14:25

Data and auditAnna Dickinson & David Mawdsley

Guidance and criteriaMain Panel Chair &Graeme Rosenberg

Session 314:25 – 15:40

Submission systemVicky Jones &Nick Soper

Data and auditAnna Dickinson &David Mawdsley