Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 and equality

Ellen Pugh, Senior Adviser at Advance HE was previously a member, and is now an adviser to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel (EDAP) which has been established to advise the UK higher education funding bodies, the REF team and the REF panels on the implementation of equality measures in the REF 2021.

In response to requests from members, Advance HE has developed and delivered in house equality and unconscious bias training for staff involved in their institutions REF 2021 processes.

Find out more about our in-house development programmes and training. 

Advance HE also ran a series of national events in Spring 2019 to support the sector implement the equality requirements of REF 2021. Materials developed for those events, including guidance on equality impact assessment, are only available to HEIs who attended.

Advance HE responded to a number of consultations to inform the development of REF 2021:

• Advance HE (formerly ECU) response to REF 2021 consultation on the draft guidance and criteria
• Advance HE (formerly ECU) has responded to the consultation on the second Research Excellence Framework
• Advance HE (formerly ECU) response to Lord Stern’s review of the Research Excellence Framework

For further information on REF 2021 visit the UK funding bodies REF 2021 website www.ref.ac.uk.

Advance HE's work on the REF 2014

ECU (now Advance HE) was a member of the Equality and Diversity Advisory Group for REF 2014 and an observer on EDAP. ECU was also commissioned by the four UK funding councils to develop materials for panels, subpanels and units of assessment to support them in meeting the equality requirements of the REF 2014 Assessment Framework and Guidance on Submissions. This included a pack of materials for delivering equality and diversity training to staff and committees responsible for selecting staff for submission to the REF.

Complex circumstances examples

Worked examples of tariff reductions due to complex circumstances (PDF)

Worked examples of tariff reductions due to complex circumstances (Word)

ECU’s (now Advance HE's) work on REF 2008 / Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008

RAE 2008 was replaced with the REF to be completed in 2014.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) commissioned ECU to conduct research into the impact of the process to promote equality and diversity in RAE 2008. The report focuses on the impact of the exercise on women, black and minority ethnic staff, disabled staff, and early-career researchers.

• Impact of the process to promote equality and diversity in the Research Assessment Exercise 2008

The report can be read alongside the UK higher education funding bodies own research on the selection of staff for inclusion in RAE 2008.

Good practice examples were published alongside the report but have since been replaced by materials produced for the REF 2014.

ECU was also commissioned to write an equality briefing for RAE panel chairs, members and secretaries. It provided an overview of the equality issues and legal framework at the time and has now been archived.