Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021

What is the Research Excellence Framework?

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the current system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The meaning of the assessment exercise to universities is great.  It allows them to demonstrate the quality and impact of their research work. The Research Excellence Framework was the first exercise to assess the impact of research outside of academia i.e. in society in general. Impact was defined as ‘an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia’. 

The value of great research, its training in original thinking and analysis and its ability to keep knowledge fresh and contemporary, to the nation and to the undergraduate and postgraduate student body is something that sets university degrees apart from those available outside of the university system. In 2014 the REF revealed the quality and impact of UK research in universities. Full details of the REF2021 can be found on the REF2021 website.

Growing our research repository

Do you have all of your publications on the Marjon research repository?

Just a reminder for all staff that if you have submitted anything for publication, or you are awaiting publication or have had anything published (either recently or historically), please send through the details to repository@marjon.ac.uk so we can upload your research to Marjon's Research Repository. 

We require the following details: 

• Author Name(s)*
• Type of Publication: i.e. Journal article/ book chapter/ conference proceedings
• Title of Article/Chapter/Conference*
• Title of Publication deposit appears in*
• Date of Acceptance*
• Date of Publication 
• DOI (if available)
• Author's Accepted Version of Manuscript - this is the version of a manuscript post-editing and peer-review, but before the article is officially published.

*This information is essential for your deposit to be processed

If you need more details on REF2021 compliant deposits, or you'd like some more information on using or depositing in the Repository, then get in touch using the details above.

REF working group

In preparation for the University's REF2021 submission, a working group has been formed, which sits under the Research & Knowledge Exchange Committee. The working group has a number of responsibilities in the lead up to REF2021, including ensuring the REF2021 code of practice is applied consistently, accountable for reviewing equality impact assessments and ensuring the group stay abreast of all guidance for REF2021.

 The composition of the REF2021 working group is as follows:

• Professor Michelle Jones, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Chair)
• Professor Gary Shum, Unit of Assessment 24 Coordinator
• Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Unit of Assessment 23 Coordinator
• Lucy Pengelly, Director of Human Resources
• Dr Saul Bloxham, Representative of Academic Management Team

Our REF results

We will publish our full REF results, including details of our impact case studies and units of assessment, following REF2021.