The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is now seeking applications for the main panel chairs for REF 2029
Applications will close at midday on Thursday 26 September 2024.
The Research Excellence Framework is the UK’s system for assessing the excellence of research in UK higher education providers. The REF outcomes are used to inform the allocation of around £2 billion per year of public funding for universities’ research.
The Main Panel Chairs will hold overall responsibility for the REF 2029 main panels and play a key role in recruiting and developing the REF main panels and sub-panels. They will work and advise on the development and delivery of the exercise with the other main panel chairs, providing advice to the REF team and Steering Group. They will provide visible leadership for the REF panels and undertake an ambassadorial role for REF 2029 in the sector.
REF Panels
There are four main panels which oversee the REF assessment, ensuring the assessment criteria and standards are consistently applied. The main panels provide leadership and guidance to a group of sub-panels in the following areas:
- Main panel A: Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
- Main panel B: Physical Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics
- Main panel C: Social Sciences
- Main panel D: Arts and Humanities
The Role of Main Panel Chair
The role of each main panel chair is to:
- undertake an ambassadorial role for REF 2029 in the sector
- work and advise on the development and delivery of the exercise with the other main panel chairs, providing advice to the REF team and Steering Group
- play a key role in recruiting and developing the REF main panels and sub-panels
- provide visible leadership for the REF panels
- hold overall responsibility for delivering the main panel responsibilities