Final copies of the Guidance on Submissions (the technical rules for the REF) and the Panel Criteria and Working Methods (how the panels will operate) were published on the REF2021 website on Thursday 31 January. Alongside these were published a note from the REF Steering Group explaining the key decisions which helped to shape these … Continue reading “REF 2021 Guidance published”
Tag: REF
The Five(ish) Ws of Impact Evaluation
Guest blog post by Beth Clewes Impact Development Officer, College of Social Sciences With REF2021 submission creeping ever closer (less than 2 years to go!), and the impact agenda becoming further embedded into research activities in universities across the UK, a question that is increasingly being considered by academics and professional services staff alike is … Continue reading “The Five(ish) Ws of Impact Evaluation”
Consultation on REF2021 draft guidance and panel criteria: What does it say about public engagement?
In July 2018, draft guidance and panel criteria for REF 2021 were published for consultation. This follows the Stern review, which made the following recommendation about public engagement: “Recommendation 7: Guidance on the REF should make it clear that impact case studies should not be narrowly interpreted, need not solely focus on socioeconomic impacts but should also include impact on … Continue reading “Consultation on REF2021 draft guidance and panel criteria: What does it say about public engagement?”
REF Panel Adviser. Again.
On 12th December 2017, in the middle of that period of heavy snow and ice which brought the West Midlands to a halt, I found myself sitting in front of my laptop being interviewed by Skype for the position of REF Panel Adviser. A couple of weeks later, I was delighted to hear I had … Continue reading “REF Panel Adviser. Again.”
New report on Russian-speaking Foreign Fighters
New report on Russian-speaking Foreign Fighters by Cerwyn Moore and Mark Youngman Existing data on Russian-speaking groups and individuals linked to the Islamic State is often inaccurate, according to CREST Researcher Cerwyn Moore and ESRC-funded PhD Student Mark Youngman. They have released a substantive report on Russian-speaking foreign fighters and Islamic State’s influence in the … Continue reading “New report on Russian-speaking Foreign Fighters”
Crossing campus to widen my horizon – Tales from a successful secondment to Research Planning
By guest blogger Katharina Freise Senior Research Facilitator in the College of Arts and Law I have been working at the University of Birmingham since 2006 in various research supporting roles, with the last eight years as a Research Facilitator in the College of Arts and Law. I had been looking out for a way to … Continue reading “Crossing campus to widen my horizon – Tales from a successful secondment to Research Planning”
HEFCE Consultation on the REF
On 8 December 2016, the Funding Councils issued their Consultation on REF2021 (http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2016/201636/ ). This is their attempt to turn the principles of the Stern review into practice and the 44 questions, many of which pose significant and interlinked challenges to the sector, highlight just how hard it is to do this. The REF team’s … Continue reading “HEFCE Consultation on the REF”
Public Engagement and the REF: A process of judgement, not measurement…
I recently attended a NCCPE event featuring Steven Hill (Head of Research Policy, HEFCE) which addressed the relevant public engagement questions in the current HECFE consultation on the future of the REF. Question 23: What do you think about having further guidance for public engagement impacts and what do you think would be helpful? [Also discussed were Questions 15, 20, 21, … Continue reading “Public Engagement and the REF: A process of judgement, not measurement…”
Leading to Impact’: Q+A Lee Chapman
Professor Lee Chapman, based in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, has been at the University since 1998. Demonstrating a keen interest in potential business applications of research since his PhD, Lee could be considered a serial entrepreneur having already run and sold on a successful University of Birmingham spin-out company and is now … Continue reading “Leading to Impact’: Q+A Lee Chapman”
Reflecting on the Stern Review
On 28th July 2016, Lord Stern published his much anticipated review of the REF: Building on Success and Learning from Experience. The report neither proposed a wholesale move to metrics to assess research quality nor the abolition of REF – both apocalyptic scenarios trailed early in the review process. Rather, the proposals for change are … Continue reading “Reflecting on the Stern Review”