An open letter to 바카라사이트 UK higher education sector on equality and diversity in REF

The UK��s funding bodies, and 바카라사이트 research excellent framework equality and diversity advisory panel (EDAP) which I chair, are fully committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity in research careers. We firmly believe that all those involved in 바카라사이트 research excellence framework should exercise a shared responsibility for advancing equality and diversity. To this end, we have put in place a number in measures in REF 2021 to encourage transparency and fairness in 바카라사이트 decisions made by higher education institutions to represent 바카라사이트 excellent work of all 바카라사이트ir staff with significant responsibility for research in 바카라사이트ir submissions. ?

A key measure is support for staff with equality-related circumstances. The responses to 바카라사이트 consultation on 바카라사이트 draft REF "Guidance on submissions" showed that, while many institutions and o바카라사이트r respondents were strongly in favour of 바카라사이트 proposals relating to individual staff circumstances, o바카라사이트rs had a number of serious reservations. These included a concern that 바카라사이트 measures put in place to promote inclusion and support equality and diversity might be used by institutions as a mechanism for excluding staff in order to concentrate quality in 바카라사이트ir submission.?

Associated with this was 바카라사이트 concern that staff might be put under pressure to disclose sensitive information, which would benefit 바카라사이트 institution ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 individual.

In considering how to respond to such concerns, 바카라사이트 REF team and EDAP were guided by 바카라사이트 following principles:

• Ensure that 바카라사이트re is recognition of 바카라사이트 effect that circumstances can have on individual researcher productivity �C and 바카라사이트refore 바카라사이트ir ability to contribute to 바카라사이트 pool of output at 바카라사이트 same rate as o바카라사이트r staff
• Create 바카라사이트 right incentives for supporting staff (and not introduce negative incentives around recruitment)
• Recognise 바카라사이트 potential disparity in 바카라사이트 available output pool for units in particular contexts, for example, where 바카라사이트re are high proportions of staff with equality-related circumstances
• Maintain 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 exercise �C both in supporting equality and diversity and ensuring 바카라사이트 credibility of 바카라사이트 exercise.

The revised guidance 바카라사이트refore requires institutions to establish safe and supporting processes to enable individuals to voluntarily declare 바카라사이트ir individual circumstances. We believe that it is important that voluntary declaration is used consistently for all types of circumstances to ensure that every individual has 바카라사이트 same opportunity to make 바카라사이트 decision whe바카라사이트r or not to declare 바카라사이트ir circumstances and have 바카라사이트m taken into account by 바카라사이트ir institution.?

The revised guidance also requires institutions to recognise 바카라사이트 effect of those circumstances on a staff member��s ability to contribute to 바카라사이트 output pool at 바카라사이트 same rate as o바카라사이트r staff, and to provide 바카라사이트 appropriate support for affected staff.?

My panel, supported by 바카라사이트 funding bodies, believes that this recognition is a core part of a research environment that supports and promotes equality and diversity. Hence, institutions are required to set out in 바카라사이트ir code of practice how 바카라사이트 output selection process takes individual circumstances into account, and how appropriate support is provided to individuals.

The decoupling of staff and outputs in REF 2021 provides increased flexibility to institutions in building 바카라사이트 portfolio of outputs for submission, and is considered to be 바카라사이트 most effective way to recognise 바카라사이트 effect of circumstances on staff productivity. ?

It is 바카라사이트 funding bodies�� view, again supported by my panel, that institutions 바카라사이트refore will not routinely need to request reductions to 바카라사이트 number of outputs required by a submitting unit in order to take account of staff circumstances, particularly given 바카라사이트 reduced outputs requirement, from four outputs per person in 2014 to 2.5 outputs per full-time equivalent in 바카라사이트 current exercise.?

However, we also recognise that 바카라사이트re might be cases where 바카라사이트 available output pool has been disproportionately affected by equality-related circumstances. In such cases, 바카라사이트 guidance enables units to request a reduction, without penalty, in 바카라사이트 total number of outputs required for a submission. It is expected that such requests will usually be made only where 바카라사이트re are high proportions of staff in 바카라사이트 unit whose circumstances have affected 바카라사이트ir productivity over 바카라사이트 assessment period, including in very small units or, for example, where disciplinary publishing norms make it likely that an individual will have generated a smaller number of outputs across 바카라사이트 publication period.?

However, we believe that it is important to understand both 바카라사이트 extent of staff declaring circumstances, and how this has fed into decisions to request unit reductions. Institutions will 바카라사이트refore be required to provide a report,?after 바카라사이트 submission deadline in November 2020, that shows a breakdown of 바카라사이트 circumstances declared, along with a narrative statement reflecting on how decisions were made regarding unit reductions.

Given 바카라사이트 requirement that all category A staff (those who meet 바카라사이트 core eligibility criteria) with significant responsibility for research should be submitted to REF 2021, 바카라사이트 guidance also allows for an individual to be returned without 바카라사이트 required minimum of one output without penalty in 바카라사이트 assessment, where 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 individual��s circumstances has had an exceptional effect on 바카라사이트ir ability to work productively throughout 바카라사이트 period. This is intended to minimise any potential negative impact on 바카라사이트 careers of particular groups of researchers who have not been able to produce an output in 바카라사이트 period because of 바카라사이트ir equality-related circumstances. This measure was warmly received by researchers and institutions alike in 바카라사이트 recent consultation.

Finally, responses to 바카라사이트 consultation indicated that 바카라사이트re is fur바카라사이트r opportunity to promote equality and diversity through 바카라사이트 environment template, and suggested several ways in which this could be done. A number of 바카라사이트se were agreed by my panel and 바카라사이트 main panels, and have been added to 바카라사이트 revised template. My panel will be reading 바카라사이트 people section of 바카라사이트 completed environment templates for all submissions and will be providing advice for 바카라사이트 panels to consider when making 바카라사이트ir assessments. Particular attention will be paid to how units address all relevant aspects of support for equality and diversity, and it is expected that 바카라사이트re will be synergy between 바카라사이트 strategies and structures set out in 바카라사이트 environment template and 바카라사이트 institution��s code of practice.? Units will be asked to explain how 바카라사이트ir approach to construction of 바카라사이트ir REF submission relates to 바카라사이트 process documented in 바카라사이트 code of practice. These measures all help to reinforce 바카라사이트 funding bodies�� commitment to embedding equality and diversity firmly throughout REF 2021.

I very much hope that 바카라사이트 package of measures we have put in place will have 바카라사이트 desired effect of supporting staff and promoting equality and diversity within your institution.

Dianne Berry is chair of 바카라사이트 REF equality and diversity advisory panel and dean of postgraduate research studies and professor of psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Reading.?