R&IS News

The national REF team has now published the final Panel Criteria and Working Methods and updated Guidance for REF 2029. These documents provide greater clarity on how submissions will be assessed and set out the framework for institutional preparations over the next two years.

An initial review of the guidance has identified several points of relevance to Warwick. Further analysis will follow as the REF and Research Planning Team works through the detail.

Key Changes and Clarifications:

Contributions to Knowledge and Understanding (CKU)

The guidance confirms that an output can be returned only once per UoA, but as many times across Units of Assessment (UoAs) as the institution has substantive links to it. For example, an article with four substantive links that fits five UoAs can be returned to up to four of them, each with a different substantive link to the institution, but not to all five or more than once to the same UoA. The output must meet each UoA’s descriptor, and this applies to multi-authored or interdisciplinary outputs. Each occurrence is assessed separately and may receive a different score. There is no interdisciplinary research flag, but cross-referral and joint assessment can be requested.

For UoA 12 (Engineering), the guidance allows for an optional factual statement of up to 100 words explaining an output’s significance where this is not evident from the output itself. It must be succinct and verifiable, with a named contact for any industrial claim. Synopses, opinions on quality and citation data will be disregarded. The sub-panel expects that most outputs will not require a statement, and not providing one will not count against an output. There is no mandatory statement in any UoA.

Strategy, People and Research Environment (SPRE)

The institution-level and unit-level SPRE statements will be assessed separately and carry equal weighting across four areas: strategy; people; income, infrastructure and facilities; and collaboration, engagement and impact. Both statement types will be limited to 8,000 words, with separate allowances for contextual information.

The guidance places particular emphasis on demonstrating effectiveness and learning. Statements will need to provide evidence of outcomes and institutional development, rather than simply describing activity.

Institution-level (IL) SPRE statement

The institution-level statement will be assessed by a separate IL SPRE Panel, which is still being recruited. Sub-panels will read the statement for context but will not score it. The statement can be written at main-panel level rather than naming every UoA but must show whole-institution coverage. IL SPRE Panel working methods will be published in autumn 2027.

Engagement and Impact

There are no material changes to Engagement and Impact policy. The Panel Criteria clarifies that there is no continued Impact Case Study (ICS) flag, that engagement is not scored separately and its absence is not penalised, and that every ICS must cite at least one reference meeting the REF definition of research. More than one unit may submit the same impact, provided that each unit’s research made a distinct and material contribution.

Looking Ahead

Universities will be invited to submit to REF from autumn 2027, with the final REF 2029 submission deadline set for 24 November 2028. Warwick is planning to submit in October 2028, ahead of the sector deadline. Panel assessment will take place during 2029, with results expected in December 2029.

A University Town Hall meeting on the confirmed REF 2029 guidance will take place on Wednesday 27 January 2027. Further details will be shared in due course. Colleagues with questions about the guidance or REF preparations can contact the REF and Research Planning Team by emailing refplanning@warwick.ac.uk.