R&IS News

Seventeen University of Warwick academics have been appointed to serve on the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2029) panels, recognising their expertise and leadership across a wide range of disciplines.

As panel members, they will provide specialist insight and assess research quality across UK higher education. The REF plays a vital role in shaping the distribution of quality-related funding—currently around £2 billion annually—to support world-class research in universities.

The Science Minister, Lord Vallance, today announced a pause in the criteria setting and publication of final guidance for REF 2029 for a short period. While the overall timetable for REF 2029 remains unchanged, the pause affects certain milestones, including a delay in the publication of Guidance modules. Institutions can therefore expect updates in the coming months as the process resumes.

Also announced this morning, seventeen University of Warwick academics have been appointed to serve as panellists across all four main panels for REF 2029.

Research England has published detailed guidance for the Contributions to Knowledge and Understanding assessment element for REF 2029, outlining important developments in how research outputs will be assessed and reflecting the framework’s evolution towards assessing the research and environment of institutions rather than individuals. They have also published the full Code of Practice guidance, updated and expanded from January 2025, which supports institutions in implementing approaches to REF.

Professor John Greenlees from Warwick’s Mathematics department has been appointed as a chair of Sub-panel 10: Mathematical Sciences for REF 2029.

We have recently launched a review of our research centres, focusing in particular on Category II, or interdisciplinary centres.