CaSE submission to Stern Review of REF 2016

Following consultation with our members, CaSE responded to Lord Stern’s review of the Research Excellence Framework.

Summary of key points

• Introducing further major change at a time of multiple reforms to the research funding and regulatory environment and to university teaching could be destabilising
  
  
• In the short-term, maintain the current structure but build in lessons learnt from the 2014 exercise
  
  
• There will be efficiency gains from the sector understanding the REF process and having institutional processes in place to respond
  
  
• Peer review provides a robust, transparent and credible basis for assessing outputs and should continue to be the basis of assessment, with metrics providing supplementary input
  
  
• Changing staff and output selection by decoupling of individuals from outputs, is the most substantial change proposed that could bring significant benefits and efficiencies
  
  
• Introducing small changes that would enable better use of the data from the REF could maximise the benefits of the exercise
  
  
• Further technical consultation will enable those with experience of REF2014 to help refine the next REF exercise