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CaSE submission to Stern Review of REF 2016

18 Mar 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

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