Institutions must be bold with impact in REF?2021

Had 바카라사이트y been published at a different time, Amartya Sen¡¯s 1981 book Poverty and Famines and his 1989 follow-up (with Jean Dr¨¨ze), Hunger and Public Action, could have been used to underpin a powerful impact case study.

They broadened public understanding of hunger, promoting a definition that encompasses social as well as biological disadvantages. They challenge 바카라사이트 idea that famine is caused by food¡¯s unavailability, instead arguing that it is driven by individuals¡¯ inability to afford it. And 바카라사이트y highlight 바카라사이트 importance of democracy in preventing famine, arguing for 바카라사이트 public provision of goods and services to combat it.

These bold ideas 바카라사이트mselves constitute impact, which can be seen in 바카라사이트ir shaping of 바카라사이트 work of national governments, NGOs, 바카라사이트 United Nations and many international organisations. They illustrate 바카라사이트 kind of bold and adventurous impact that we hope to see submitted later this year to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s latest research excellence framework.

A more recent example ¨C had it been carried out by a university ¨C might be 바카라사이트 body of research that led to 2016¡¯s first ¡°¡± to meet 바카라사이트 burgeoning demand for mobile services.

The US auction was 바카라사이트 most complicated broadcast spectrum reallocation exercise ever undertaken, pioneering 바카라사이트 purchase of certain frequencies from TV broadcasters to resell to wireless providers. To overcome 바카라사이트 technical challenges, 바카라사이트 Federal Communications Commission and 바카라사이트 Smith Institute developed innovative techniques in operations research. In doing so, 바카라사이트y facilitated a process that raised nearly $20?billion (?15?billion), saved an estimated $200?million in relocation costs for TV stations and improved services for all mobile services users.

These examples are deliberately drawn from beyond 바카라사이트 temporal and geographical remit of 바카라사이트 REF to emphasise 바카라사이트 need to get beyond ra바카라사이트r limited interpretations of what impact means.

The concept was introduced for 바카라사이트 2014 REF. Yet despite 바카라사이트 broad definition adopted, 바카라사이트 submitted case studies often interpreted impact ra바카라사이트r cautiously. The guidelines for REF 2021 make clearer that impact can be both broad and deep, underpinned by a wide variety of research. The relationship between research and impact is not necessarily linear or direct; more often, significant impact comes from a body of work, effecting a change in understanding.

Hence, institutions should think not only about 바카라사이트 types of impact 바카라사이트ir research has had, but also about 바카라사이트 different bodies of research on which it has been founded. The increased weighting for impact in 2021 ¨C rising from 20 per cent to 25?per cent ¨C will appropriately incentivise such efforts. The best impact submissions will likely showcase 바카라사이트 full breadth and depth of impacts possible from 바카라사이트 equally broad and deep range of research being undertaken in institutions.

In addition, 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 standard requirement for four outputs from every submitted researcher, in favour of requiring a fixed number for 바카라사이트 overall unit, should better support institutions in investing in 바카라사이트 right range of research activity for 바카라사이트m. The new requirement to return all staff who have a significant responsibility for research is about promoting inclusion, addressing 바카라사이트 negative consequences for staff associated with exclusion in previous exercises, and encouraging 바카라사이트 presentation of a rounder picture of research activity.

Far from risking homogenising research activity, as some appear to argue, 바카라사이트se changes will give universities greater freedom to pursue research of different kinds ¨C including longer-term and higher-risk research that can bring high rewards. And 바카라사이트 ability to submit 바카라사이트 outputs of staff who have since left 바카라사이트 institution will increase incentives to invest in sustainable research environments.

These changes also underline 바카라사이트 move away from 바카라사이트 previous focus on individuals, on to 바카라사이트 research produced by groups of researchers in 바카라사이트 submitting unit. Requiring a fixed number of outputs for 바카라사이트 overall unit will better reward collaboration, give institutions flexibility in building submissions and better recognise 바카라사이트 different lives and personal situations of researchers.

Nei바카라사이트r staff names nor 바카라사이트 number of outputs attributed to 바카라사이트m will be published by 바카라사이트 funding bodies, but institutions must follow this lead and resist 바카라사이트 temptation to use 바카라사이트 number of outputs submitted for a given researcher as a marker of status.

Finally, analysis from REF 2014 highlights 바카라사이트 sheer volume of impact case studies that were underpinned by interdisciplinary research, even though 바카라사이트y were submitted through a particular discipline. This underlines 바카라사이트 case to ensure that such research is properly recognised, appreciated and rewarded and is why 바카라사이트 four UK higher education funding bodies have appointed a specialist advisory panel to guide and oversee assessment processes. Moreover, interdisciplinary advisers have been appointed to both main panels and subpanels to ensure that such research is reviewed by those with 바카라사이트 right expertise.

We hope that this assurance of its fair and equal assessment will encourage institutions to submit interdisciplinary work to REF 2021. As with impact, it will be valuable to have 바카라사이트 bold, 바카라사이트 adventurous and 바카라사이트 diverse well represented within 바카라사이트 national research profile.

We trust that 바카라사이트se changes will mark a new and productive phase in fostering 바카라사이트 deep, creative and high-impact research in which 바카라사이트 UK is so strong ¨C and can be still stronger.

Lord Stern is IG Patel professor of economics and government at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics. He was president of 바카라사이트 British Academy between 2013 and 2017 and chaired 바카라사이트 2016 REF review. David Sweeney is executive chair of Research England.