The Research Excellence Framework (REF) – why all the excitement?

The UK's research excellence framework 2014.

A tool with many uses including, now, assessment of the usefulness of research In 2014 the United Kingdom will conduct its seventh universities research assessment exercise in which it will assess, rank, and reward universities according to the excellence of their research between 2008 and 2013. As usual there are changes to previous processes, which include a new name (the Research Excellence ...

Intelligent Systems in Biology: Why the Excitement?

medicine, but we cannot fully analyze this data due to the wealth and complexity of the information available. The result is a great need for intelligent systems in biology. There are many opportunities for intelligent systems to help produce knowledge in biology and medicine. Intelligent systems probably helped design the last drug your doctor prescribed, and they were probably involved in som...

Beyond Academia – Interrogating Research Impact in the Research Excellence Framework

Big changes to the way in which research funding is allocated to UK universities were brought about in the Research Excellence Framework (REF), overseen by the Higher Education Funding Council, England. Replacing the earlier Research Assessment Exercise, the purpose of the REF was to assess the quality and reach of research in UK universities-and allocate funding accordingly. For the first time...

The Stern review of the Research Excellence Framework.

Include medical ethics in the Research Excellence Framework.

The Research Excellence Framework of the Higher Education Funding Council for England is taking place in 2013, its three key elements being outputs (65% of the profile), impact (20%), and “quality of the research environment” (15%). Impact will be assessed using case studies that “may include any social, economic or cultural impact or benefit beyond academia that has taken place during the asse...