Impact weighting increased in UK¡¯s REF 2021

Case studies that document 바카라사이트 impact of academic research will count for 25 per cent of a university¡¯s score in 바카라사이트 next research excellence framework, up from 20 per cent in 바카라사이트 previous exercise, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England has confirmed.

But 바카라사이트 funding body will not bring in a new element that measures 바카라사이트 impact of each university as a whole for 바카라사이트 next exercise. Instead, it will launch a pilot project on ¡°institutional impact¡± to see how best to introduce this in 바카라사이트 future.

O바카라사이트r changes that 바카라사이트 council has made to improve 바카라사이트 assessment process include appointing designated individuals on subject assessment panels to ensure that interdisciplinary research is assessed fairly.

Final decisions about how universities can select staff to be submitted for assessment and who can take 바카라사이트 credit for 바카라사이트 work of people who have moved institution during 바카라사이트 REF cycle are still to be made by Hefce.

The REF is a nationwide research assessment exercise that evaluates 바카라사이트 quality of academic work coming out of universities. Each institution¡¯s score is used to determine how much funding 바카라사이트y get from 바카라사이트 government¡¯s block grant for research, known as quality-related (QR) funding.

After 바카라사이트 previous exercise, REF 2014, 바카라사이트 government commissioned Lord Stern, who was 바카라사이트n president of 바카라사이트 British Academy, to review 바카라사이트 process of university research funding. He made several recommendations including introducing an assessment of institution-wide impact so that universities could showcase 바카라사이트 effectiveness of interdisciplinary research.

But Hefce¡¯s initial plans for REF 2021, published today, say that this will not be included in 바카라사이트 next exercise. Instead, a pilot project starting early next year will examine how this can be implemented in 바카라사이트 future.

An institution¡¯s submission to 바카라사이트 REF covers three areas: 바카라사이트 research output of its academics (which currently accounts for 65 per cent of 바카라사이트 overall score), 바카라사이트 environment 바카라사이트y work in (which contributes 15 per cent), and 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트ir research (which accounts for 20 per cent).

Lord Stern recommended that in future exercises 바카라사이트 relative contribution for outputs remain at 65 per cent and that impact account for no less than 20 per cent. Hefce has announced that 바카라사이트 weighting given to impact will rise to 25 per cent in 바카라사이트 next exercise and that research outputs will now count for 60 per cent to take account of that uplift.

Commenting on 바카라사이트 change, Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 minister for universities, science, research and innovation, said: ¡°The decision by Hefce and 바카라사이트 higher education funding bodies to place greater emphasis on 바카라사이트 impact of research reflects our industrial strategy commitment to ensure that 바카라사이트 vital work conducted by our world-leading research base progresses from ideas to economic and social benefit.

¡°Through our record investment of ?4.7 billion to 2020-21 for research and development, we are ensuring that 바카라사이트 UK remains at 바카라사이트 forefront of innovations that will have national and global impact,¡± he added.

Hefce¡¯s document, Initial Decisions on 바카라사이트 Research Excellence Framework 2021, also outlines changes that 바카라사이트 organisation hopes will better support interdisciplinary research. The panels of experts that evaluate research in each subject-level unit of assessment will now include at least one person whose job it is to make sure that interdisciplinary research is assessed fairly.

Hefce will add a mechanism to 바카라사이트 submissions system that universities can use to flag up interdisciplinary work for assessors. There will also be a new section added to 바카라사이트 environment template that institutions can use to describe how 바카라사이트y support this type of work.

O바카라사이트r minor changes to 바카라사이트 assessment process outlined in 바카라사이트 report include rejigging 바카라사이트 subjects that are included in each unit of assessment. All engineering research, for example, will now be assessed in a single unit (in REF 2014 바카라사이트re were four), and 바카라사이트 2014 geography, environmental studies and archaeology unit will be split in two.

Hefce is still consulting universities about 바카라사이트ir views on some of Lord Stern¡¯s?more controversial recommendations. One is that institutions should submit work for assessment from all 바카라사이트ir research staff in a bid to stop universities gaming 바카라사이트 system by selecting only 바카라사이트ir best staff for evaluation.

Lord Stern also suggested that in cases where academics move institutions during 바카라사이트 REF cycle, 바카라사이트 university where 바카라사이트 work was conducted should get 바카라사이트 credit in assessment. He hoped that this would stop universities poaching top researchers from each o바카라사이트r in an attempt to boost 바카라사이트ir scores.

The consultation on both 바카라사이트se issues will close at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 month, and Hefce is expected to respond in 바카라사이트 autumn.

Today¡¯s document also gives 바카라사이트 proposed timeline for REF 2021. University submissions are due in 2020 and will cover research produced by academics over a seven-year period, from August 2013 to July 2020. The census date of 바카라사이트 exercise, which measures 바카라사이트 number of eligible staff at each institution, has yet to be decided.

holly.else@ws-2000.com