Join this online interactive webinar with Q&A to:

• learn about the current proposals for how People, Culture and Environment may be assessed in REF 2029
• understand how the University of Bath is participating in the REF pilot exercise, and what we've learned from the process so far
• gain early advice on preparedness for REF 2029
• get to know the research culture team

Background

The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is a system that's used to assess the excellence of research and then to guide allocation of research funding to institutions across the UK.

The former 'Environment' statement in the REF comprised 15 percent of the overall outcome. Following decisions from REF in 2024, this section will be expanded to 'People, Culture and Environment' (PCE) and expected to be worth 25 percent of the overall outcome/score in REF 2029.

Institutions are currently expected to submit both an institution level statement, as well as a selected number of Units of Assessment (UoAs) level statements for the assessment of PCE. This planned change aims to increase focus on the conditions that are an essential feature of research excellence.

A pilot template was released in late 2024 which includes 'indicators' of an excellent research culture, as well as the proposed forms of evidence which might be drawn upon. The University of Bath is participating in a pilot to test the new indicators that may be assessed as part of the new PCE template.