Research Outreach Blog
May 18, 2022

2021 Research Excellence Framework Results

REF: 2021 results are in – and the UK is a world leader in research

The UK is a world leader in research, according to the latest iteration of the Research Excellence Framework. The REF is a nation-wide assessment of research by UK universities, and was last conducted in 2014. Every six years, four UK higher education funding bodies, Research England, the Scottish Funding Council, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland, join forces to assess the quality of UK research. The latest REF results show that UK research has impressive international clout.

REF:2021
Importantly, REF: 2021 results show that the percentage of research in the UK classified as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ has increased. The REF looked at three things: outputs (making up 60% of the overall result), impact (25%), and research environment (15%). Outputs are defined as published research, such as journal articles, exhibitions, designs, chapters in books, monographs and performances. Impact is assessed on the effect or benefit of the research outside of academia. Finally, research environment refers to the overall strategy, infrastructure, and resources of higher educations that ‘support research and enable impact’.

For the first time, universities were required to submit all research-active staff to the REF: 2021 assessment. This new rule was introduced to stop institutions from cherry-picking researchers to submit to bolster stats. 185,594 pieces of research and over 76,000 staff were submitted by 157 UK universities. Cementing the UK’s place at the forefront of research globally, the results of the 2021 assessment revealed that over 80% of research in each UK nation and English region is world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*). Across all research activity, 41% was classed as 4* (an 11% increase from 2014) and 43% as 3*. In 75% of UK universities at least 15% of research was considered world-leading (4*).

Outstanding results
Breaking down the results of REF: 2021 further, over a third (36%) of all outputs were classed as world-leading (4*) and almost a half (47%) as internationally excellent (3*). The REF also found ‘impressive evidence of impact’, with half of all research judged outstanding and over a third as having very considerable public value bringing demonstrable diverse benefits to society. For research environments, 50% of researchers were found to work in environments conducive to producing world-leading research, and an additional 37% researchers in environments suitable for producing internationally excellent research. Between 2013 and 2020, the REF reports 162,000 research degrees were awarded and £46 billion of research income. Overall, these are outstanding results for UK research.

Celebrating diversity
REF: 2021 also reveals positive findings for diversity in research. The REF ‘found equally high-quality work produced by early career researchers, staff who took family-related leave, or who had other equality-related circumstances. Excellence was found in all forms of research, including excellent examples of interdisciplinary work.’ The REF say that the new framework of the 2021 has allowed for diversity to be recognised and celebrated.

UK: World leader in research
Steven Hill, Chair of the REF Steering Group and Director of Research at Research England, declares that the results of REF: 2021 ‘reinforce the UK’s position as a world leader in research’. The latest findings from REF clearly show that the UK is excelling on the international stage through producing exceptional research with significant impact.

Read the full REF 2021 results here.

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