What is the REF?
The REF is undertaken by the four UK higher education funding bodies: Research England, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE). The funding bodies’ shared policy aim for research assessment is to secure the continuation of a world-class, dynamic and responsive research base across the full academic spectrum within UK higher education. For each submission, three distinct elements are assessed: the quality of outputs (e.g. publications, performances, and exhibitions), their impact beyond academia, and the environment that supports research.
Chemistry REF21
Dr Donna Arnold, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry and Forensic Science and UoA Research lead for Chemistry and Forensic Science says:
More than 92% of our research outputs and 100% of our research impact was considered to be world leading or internationally excellent. This clearly demonstrates the exceptional influence and the wide impact our research is having. The REF results for Chemistry show a clear upward trajectory from REF2014 and demonstrate the excellent research being undertaken by our colleagues.