Queen's University Belfast: Flexibility about the need for publications

The requirement of four REF-returnable publications for research and academic positions might discourage women, who are under-represented at the postdoctoral level and thus more likely to have fewer publications, from applying. Instead, we now require that the number of REF-returnable publications should be in line with the career stage of the applicant, thus encouraging applications from those at an early career stage or who have been on career breaks. Three quarters of academic appointments in 2013-2014 (50% female) had fewer than four REF-returnable publications because of early career stage.