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.
Sport and Exercise Science REF21
Dr Lex Mauger, Reader and UoA Research lead for Sport and Exercise Science says:
The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences has demonstrated that the impact of its research is world-leading, with work on respiratory care in athletes, and sport Mega Events and disability sport scoring 75% in the highest “world leading” category (and 100% in the “world leading” and “internationally excellent” categories). The School’s overall research quality profile increased considerably from REF2014, with over 85% of our research now assessed as world-leading and internationally excellent. The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences was also assessed to have published over 80% of its research papers in the highest categories of “world leading” and “internationally excellent” (4* or 3*).