I am fuming about being asked to draft REF documents when we need to work out how to manage the curriculum if everyone who applied for voluntary severance actually leaves. Where are we supposed to find the time & fortitude? #REF2029
October 30, 2026 at 11:26 PM
I am fuming about being asked to draft REF documents when we need to work out how to manage the curriculum if everyone who applied for voluntary severance actually leaves. Where are we supposed to find the time & fortitude? #REF2029
Research Impact SIG Networking Event ➡️ REF2029 discussion & developing a REF Impact 101 resource (In Person)
📆 17 November, Durham
Learn more & register: https://arma.ac.uk/product/research-impact-sig-in-person-networking-event-ref2029-discussion-and-developing-a-ref-impact-101-resource-durham/
📆 17 November, Durham
Learn more & register: https://arma.ac.uk/product/research-impact-sig-in-person-networking-event-ref2029-discussion-and-developing-a-ref-impact-101-resource-durham/
Research Impact SIG in-person networking event: REF2029 discussion and developing a REF Impact 101 resource (Durham) – ARMA
arma.ac.uk
October 23, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Research Impact SIG Networking Event ➡️ REF2029 discussion & developing a REF Impact 101 resource (In Person)
📆 17 November, Durham
Learn more & register: https://arma.ac.uk/product/research-impact-sig-in-person-networking-event-ref2029-discussion-and-developing-a-ref-impact-101-resource-durham/
📆 17 November, Durham
Learn more & register: https://arma.ac.uk/product/research-impact-sig-in-person-networking-event-ref2029-discussion-and-developing-a-ref-impact-101-resource-durham/
Online Training ➡️ The Research Excellence Framework (REF): what is it all about?
If you're seeking a comprehensive introduction to #REF2029, this timely session is an excellent place to start
📅 20 January
https://arma.ac.uk/product/the-research-excellence-framework-ref-whats-it-all-about-online/
If you're seeking a comprehensive introduction to #REF2029, this timely session is an excellent place to start
📅 20 January
https://arma.ac.uk/product/the-research-excellence-framework-ref-whats-it-all-about-online/
The Research Excellence Framework (REF): what’s it all about? (Online) – ARMA
arma.ac.uk
October 21, 2026 at 10:15 AM
Online Training ➡️ The Research Excellence Framework (REF): what is it all about?
If you're seeking a comprehensive introduction to #REF2029, this timely session is an excellent place to start
📅 20 January
https://arma.ac.uk/product/the-research-excellence-framework-ref-whats-it-all-about-online/
If you're seeking a comprehensive introduction to #REF2029, this timely session is an excellent place to start
📅 20 January
https://arma.ac.uk/product/the-research-excellence-framework-ref-whats-it-all-about-online/
We're recruiting 3 Research Associate (Impact) posts (Grade 6, 60% FTE) in Social Science & Public Policy at King's College London.
Ideal for recent PhD grads and postdocs keen to develop expertise in research impact, engagement and REF2029 preparations.
🔗 Apply here: my.corehr.com/pls/kclrecru...
Ideal for recent PhD grads and postdocs keen to develop expertise in research impact, engagement and REF2029 preparations.
🔗 Apply here: my.corehr.com/pls/kclrecru...
my.corehr.com
October 13, 2026 at 4:03 PM
We're recruiting 3 Research Associate (Impact) posts (Grade 6, 60% FTE) in Social Science & Public Policy at King's College London.
Ideal for recent PhD grads and postdocs keen to develop expertise in research impact, engagement and REF2029 preparations.
🔗 Apply here: my.corehr.com/pls/kclrecru...
Ideal for recent PhD grads and postdocs keen to develop expertise in research impact, engagement and REF2029 preparations.
🔗 Apply here: my.corehr.com/pls/kclrecru...
'“Certainly around the impact agenda, there are some tweaks [in REF2029] that are trying to address the localism that was felt to be underpowered or undervalued, and I hope the panels will do a bit more on that,” she said.'
October 12, 2026 at 7:07 AM
'“Certainly around the impact agenda, there are some tweaks [in REF2029] that are trying to address the localism that was felt to be underpowered or undervalued, and I hope the panels will do a bit more on that,” she said.'
Research Impact SIG in-person networking event ➡️ REF2029 discussion & developing a REF Impact 101 resource
📆 Tuesday 17 November
📍 Durham University
🔗 https://arma.ac.uk/product/research-impact-sig-in-person-networking-event-ref2029-discussion-and-developing-a-ref-impact-101-resource-durham/
📆 Tuesday 17 November
📍 Durham University
🔗 https://arma.ac.uk/product/research-impact-sig-in-person-networking-event-ref2029-discussion-and-developing-a-ref-impact-101-resource-durham/
Research Impact SIG in-person networking event: REF2029 discussion and developing a REF Impact 101 resource (Durham) – ARMA
arma.ac.uk
October 9, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Research Impact SIG in-person networking event ➡️ REF2029 discussion & developing a REF Impact 101 resource
📆 Tuesday 17 November
📍 Durham University
🔗 https://arma.ac.uk/product/research-impact-sig-in-person-networking-event-ref2029-discussion-and-developing-a-ref-impact-101-resource-durham/
📆 Tuesday 17 November
📍 Durham University
🔗 https://arma.ac.uk/product/research-impact-sig-in-person-networking-event-ref2029-discussion-and-developing-a-ref-impact-101-resource-durham/
#REF2029 criteria and guidance to be published mid-November 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/ref-202...
REF 2029 criteria and guidance to be published mid-November – REF 2029
2029.ref.ac.uk
October 7, 2026 at 9:20 AM
#REF2029 criteria and guidance to be published mid-November 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/ref-202...
This is not a pro- or anti-#AI point. There is clearly a tension between maximising research outputs as measured in papers and grants, and investing time in training a new generation of mathematicians. Universities, research councils, and their KPIs will also influence our choices. #REF2029 #UKHE
September 28, 2026 at 4:57 PM
An appeal for the UK HE English community: I’m convening a panel for the @univeng.bsky.social OGM, 11/12, for people coordinating REF2029 returns for UoA2029 (or for a cognate sub-panel, but including English lit/lang researchers). Contact me if you’d like to contribute.
September 28, 2026 at 5:18 PM
An appeal for the UK HE English community: I’m convening a panel for the @univeng.bsky.social OGM, 11/12, for people coordinating REF2029 returns for UoA2029 (or for a cognate sub-panel, but including English lit/lang researchers). Contact me if you’d like to contribute.
My immediate worries (all of which are very solvable, and UK-focussed): keep 16 year olds excited about maths and coming to university to study pure; keep the PhD and PDRA pipeline open; find a way of funding token use without going bankrupt or relying on people buying their own; REF2029!
September 28, 2026 at 6:42 AM
My immediate worries (all of which are very solvable, and UK-focussed): keep 16 year olds excited about maths and coming to university to study pure; keep the PhD and PDRA pipeline open; find a way of funding token use without going bankrupt or relying on people buying their own; REF2029!
Goodhart's Law: "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure"
Unis working towards REF2029 just now, should keep this in mind. REF is *not* research & it mustn't determine what kinds of research we foster or build. Yet we hear such miserable examples of researching *for* REF.
Unis working towards REF2029 just now, should keep this in mind. REF is *not* research & it mustn't determine what kinds of research we foster or build. Yet we hear such miserable examples of researching *for* REF.
September 27, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Goodhart's Law: "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure"
Unis working towards REF2029 just now, should keep this in mind. REF is *not* research & it mustn't determine what kinds of research we foster or build. Yet we hear such miserable examples of researching *for* REF.
Unis working towards REF2029 just now, should keep this in mind. REF is *not* research & it mustn't determine what kinds of research we foster or build. Yet we hear such miserable examples of researching *for* REF.
Will this new Professor be entered in REF2029?
This just gets more and more scandalous the further down you read
As one interviewee put it, 'is this a joke?'
As one interviewee put it, 'is this a joke?'
Backlash as Indian oil heir made professor of sustainability by Newcastle University
Role for Anant Ambani, son of India’s richest person, who also runs a controversial mega-zoo, met with incredulity
www.theguardian.com
September 24, 2026 at 1:12 PM
Will this new Professor be entered in REF2029?
Writing a strong REF impact case study means explaining what changed, how research contributed and why it mattered, supported by evidence of reach and significance. This new UPEN blog offers advice on building REF2029 case studies, using examples from parliamentary engagement...
September 24, 2026 at 10:05 AM
Writing a strong REF impact case study means explaining what changed, how research contributed and why it mattered, supported by evidence of reach and significance. This new UPEN blog offers advice on building REF2029 case studies, using examples from parliamentary engagement...
The REF 2029 survey FAQs are now available, providing further clarity on the next Research Excellence Framework and what institutions can expect as preparations continue.
Read the FAQs: https://2029.ref.ac.uk/news/ref-2029-survey-faqs-published/
#researchimpact #impactacademy #REF2029
Read the FAQs: https://2029.ref.ac.uk/news/ref-2029-survey-faqs-published/
#researchimpact #impactacademy #REF2029
REF 2029 survey: FAQs published – REF 2029
REF 2029 survey: FAQs published – REF 2029
2029.ref.ac.uk
September 20, 2026 at 10:02 PM
The REF 2029 survey FAQs are now available, providing further clarity on the next Research Excellence Framework and what institutions can expect as preparations continue.
Read the FAQs: https://2029.ref.ac.uk/news/ref-2029-survey-faqs-published/
#researchimpact #impactacademy #REF2029
Read the FAQs: https://2029.ref.ac.uk/news/ref-2029-survey-faqs-published/
#researchimpact #impactacademy #REF2029
Pity the Maths sub-panel members on REF2029. 'Originality'?
Who gets credit in the AI era? OpenAI maths bombshell sparks debate
Controversy around OpenAI’s claim to have solved the Navier–Stokes problem highlights how researchers could be inadvertently sharing — and absorbing— ideas through chatbots.
www.nature.com
September 17, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Pity the Maths sub-panel members on REF2029. 'Originality'?
REF2021 obsessed about interdisciplinary outputs; REF2029 has shifted to a fixation with non-traditional outputs.
Meanwhile, the damning data from REF2021 re Black researchers is persistently ignored: 2021.ref.ac.uk/publications...
Meanwhile, the damning data from REF2021 re Black researchers is persistently ignored: 2021.ref.ac.uk/publications...
We say we value diverse research, but can we assess it?
Research outputs come in all shapes and sizes, and the REF process acknowledges. But, as Ola Thomson and Gemma Derrick's research demonstrates, we're still not clear how non-traditional outputs can be fairly and consistently assessed
wonkhe.com
August 27, 2026 at 7:51 AM
REF2021 obsessed about interdisciplinary outputs; REF2029 has shifted to a fixation with non-traditional outputs.
Meanwhile, the damning data from REF2021 re Black researchers is persistently ignored: 2021.ref.ac.uk/publications...
Meanwhile, the damning data from REF2021 re Black researchers is persistently ignored: 2021.ref.ac.uk/publications...
#REF2029 Delinking has its uses but may be being stretched too much to cover all but exceptional equality issues. E.g. treating parental leave that way means the concerns raised at papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Deliver... and academic.oup.com/rev/article/... remain current
August 24, 2026 at 11:02 PM
#REF2029 Delinking has its uses but may be being stretched too much to cover all but exceptional equality issues. E.g. treating parental leave that way means the concerns raised at papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Deliver... and academic.oup.com/rev/article/... remain current
So the whole higher education is collapsing with hundreds of academics getting fired, whole departments and degrees getting wiped out but then you get an email with the title:
"What will REF 2029 mean for your institution?"
Because of course the most urgent thing for unis to do rn is REF2029...
"What will REF 2029 mean for your institution?"
Because of course the most urgent thing for unis to do rn is REF2029...
August 17, 2026 at 1:53 PM
So the whole higher education is collapsing with hundreds of academics getting fired, whole departments and degrees getting wiped out but then you get an email with the title:
"What will REF 2029 mean for your institution?"
Because of course the most urgent thing for unis to do rn is REF2029...
"What will REF 2029 mean for your institution?"
Because of course the most urgent thing for unis to do rn is REF2029...
✨ Making the Engagement and Impact dimension of REF2029 meaningful for law schools: a blog post. amandaperrykessaris.org/2025/10/16/m...
Making the Engagement and Impact dimension of REF2029 meaningful for law schools
This blog will be cross-posted on the SLSA Blog and the Kent Law School Blog, Countercurrents. Image 1: Modes of research contribution. Amanda Perry-Kessaris 2025. We have all heard of ‘impac…
amandaperrykessaris.org
October 16, 2025 at 12:48 PM
✨ Making the Engagement and Impact dimension of REF2029 meaningful for law schools: a blog post. amandaperrykessaris.org/2025/10/16/m...
✨‘Diversity’ of outputs in law REF2029 submissions. New blog post inspired by @hiddenref.bsky.social amandaperrykessaris.org/2025/09/16/d...
‘Diversity’ of outputs in law REF2029 submissions
This post has been cross-posted on the Kent Law School blog, Countercurrents, and the SLSA blog. Image 1: Screenshot of extract from REF2029 Guidance on eligible Outputs. The Hidden REF p…
amandaperrykessaris.org
September 16, 2025 at 2:46 PM
✨‘Diversity’ of outputs in law REF2029 submissions. New blog post inspired by @hiddenref.bsky.social amandaperrykessaris.org/2025/09/16/d...
TFW you are thrilled to report that REF2029 has confirmed your place as a leading centre of research excellence, as judged by your peers
February 24, 2025 at 9:04 AM
TFW you are thrilled to report that REF2029 has confirmed your place as a leading centre of research excellence, as judged by your peers
The August newsletter includes upcoming SSA funding and conference deadlines, plus opportunities with @ref2029 @AFINetwork @UK_Life_Science, and an article with @annaddition @PollyRadcliffe @Emlousmith404 | Read it now https://mailchi.mp/addiction-ssa/the-ssa-newsletter-6413903 |...
February 6, 2025 at 10:59 AM
The August newsletter includes upcoming SSA funding and conference deadlines, plus opportunities with @ref2029 @AFINetwork @UK_Life_Science, and an article with @annaddition @PollyRadcliffe @Emlousmith404 | Read it now https://mailchi.mp/addiction-ssa/the-ssa-newsletter-6413903 |...
And yet research culture is receiving less weighting for REF2029.
August 30, 2025 at 10:19 AM
And yet research culture is receiving less weighting for REF2029.
Having read @eicathomefinn.bsky.social's initial thoughts on today's workshop, the plot thickens on the REF2029 OA policy developments. If REF wants openness to run through research organisations, research, and outputs, such an OA policy would need a radical overhaul, surely?
July 15, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Having read @eicathomefinn.bsky.social's initial thoughts on today's workshop, the plot thickens on the REF2029 OA policy developments. If REF wants openness to run through research organisations, research, and outputs, such an OA policy would need a radical overhaul, surely?