Tom Frostick, Policy and Programmes Manager at University Alliance has written for HEFCE’s blog about the proposal to submit all ‘research active’ staff to the next REF.
He examines what it means to be ‘research active’, especially in a rich and diverse sector.
“Institutions with a high number of staff doing valuable but non-REFable activities face a challenge if required to submit everyone. Their producers of 3*-4* publications – which are rewarded by funding informed by REF outcomes – will be accompanied by many other staff with few or no outputs who, understandably, will have spent only a small amount of time on REFable research. As a result, the quality profile of these institutions will appear to have become diluted, even if their absolute volume of 3*-4* research is maintained, or grows larger.”
Read the full blog here.