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The key purposes of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) include:

  • to inform the selective allocation of funding for research
  • to provide accountability for public investment in research and produce evidence of the benefits of this investment
  • to provide benchmarking information and establish reputational yardsticks, for use in the higher education sector and for public information.

This major exercise is undertaken by the four UK higher education funding bodies (UK Research and Innovation, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, the Scottish Funding Council and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland).

The REF was first conducted in 2014, replacing the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

The development of the next exercise is now well underway and scheduled to take place in 2021.

national policy