The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs). It will replace the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) and will be completed in 2014. The REF will be undertaken for Wales by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW). The exercise will be managed by the REF team based at the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and overseen by the REF Steering Group, consisting of representatives from HEFCW. 

The REF will:

• inform the selective allocation of research funding to HEIs
• provide benchmarking information and establish reputational yardsticks
• provide accountability for public investment in research and demonstrate its benefits.

The aim of the REF is to develop and sustain a dynamic and internationally competitive research sector that makes a major contribution to economic prosperity, national wellbeing and the expansion and dissemination of knowledge.

Key features

The REF will be a process of expert review, informed by indicators where appropriate. Expert sub-panels for each of 36 units of assessment (UOAs) will carry out the assessment, working under the guidance of four broad main panels. Institutions will be invited to make submissions to each UOA, to be assessed in terms of:

• The quality of research outputs - this will continue to be the primary factor in the assessment. The quality of research outputs will be assessed by the expert panels against international standards of excellence
• The wider impact of research - a pilot exercise has been completed to develop and test the method for assessing this
• The vitality of the research environment.

The outcomes of the overall assessment will be fine-grained enough to identify excellence wherever this may be found. The profiles will show the proportion of submitted work at each point on a five-point scale (1* to 4* plus Unclassified).

Further information is available on the Higher Education Funding Council for England website.