GW4 experts selected to take part in REF People, Culture and Environment Pilot
Three renowned experts from the GW4 Alliance universities of Cardiff and Exeter have been selected as co-chairs of the 2029 Research Excellence Framework (REF) People, Culture and Environment (PCE) pilot panels.
Professor Ann Heilmann, from Cardiff University, and Drs Astrid Wissenburg and Professor Neil Gow from the University of Exeter, have all been selected to lead pilot panels, which will explore the practicality of submission and assessment of various elements of PCE.
In addition to this, a further nine GW4 academics from the universities of Bristol (3), Cardiff (5) and Exeter (1) have been named as part of a selection of around 80 panel members, announced by REF on 4 December 2024.
The PCE pilot is designed to develop clear, practical criteria that will help institutions submitting entries for REF 2029 to showcase how they support inclusive and dynamic research environments and research culture to produce quality, impactful research.
In the pilot, a broad sample of 40 higher education institutions (HEIs), which includes the University of Bath and Cardiff University, will produce submissions for assessment in a selection of REF Units of Assessment (UoAs). These submissions will be assessed by eight UoA-level pilot panels, with institutional-level submissions examined by a separate panel.
The institutional-level panel will be comprised of the UoA co-chairs, and chaired by Professor Chris Day, CBE, who chaired the REF 2021 Environment Panel.
The purpose of the PCE pilot panels is to test a set of indicators, assessment criteria and an assessment approach, which have been developed by REF in consultation with the PCE Indicators Project Team and a range of stakeholders. The experience and feedback of the panels will be included in a final pilot report, which will inform the REF 2029 guidance on PCE.
GW4 Alliance Director, Dr Joanna Jenkinson MBE, said: “I am delighted to see that a number of highly respected GW4 colleagues, from across our institutions, have been selected to co-chair and participate in the REF PCE pilot panels.
“Across the GW4 Alliance, we are committed to fostering equitable, diverse and inclusive research environments, which allow research excellence and innovation to thrive.
“I am pleased that GW4 colleagues will have the opportunity to contribute to the PCE pilot and to help to define the approach for assessing excellence in research culture.”
About REF:
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s system for assessing the excellence of research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The REF outcomes are used to inform the allocation of around £2 billion per year of public funding for universities’ research. The REF is a process of expert review, carried out by sub-panels focused on subject-based units of assessment (UoAs), under the guidance of overarching main panels and advisory panels.
REF first took place in 2014 and 2021, with the next exercise planned for 2029.
