Analysis of inclusion for submission, representation in outputs attribution and scoring
The analysis report can be found on the Publications and reports page.
Final report of the Equality and Diversity Advisory panel
The final report of EDAP can be found on the Publications and reports page.
Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel (EDAP)
EDAP has been established to advise the funding bodies, the REF team and the REF panels on the implementation of equality measures in the REF. See further information on its roles and membership.
Open letter to the HE sector on equality and diversity
To accompany the publication of the final guidance and criteria, the chair of the Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel, Prof. Dianne Berry OBE, has written an open letter to the HE sector. In it, she addresses the shared responsibility of all those involved in REF to advance equality and diversity. The letter outlines the key measures put in place to support staff and promote equality and diversity within institutions. Read the full letter here.
Letter to HEIs on staff circumstances in REF 2021
Following the review of Codes of Practice by the Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel (EDAP), Professor Dianne Berry (Chair of EDAP) and Dr Steven Hill (Chair of the REF Steering Group) have written a letter to HEIs. The letter provides further clarification on adjustments within REF 2021 to take account of the effects of equality-related circumstances on researchers’ productivity and to help institutions to put in place effective processes for supporting staff with such circumstances. Read the full letter here.
Improving the representativeness of panels
Analysis of the REF 2014 panel membership highlighted that some limited progress had been made in improving the representativeness of the membership since the 2008 RAE. At the end of the 2014 exercise, EDAP produced a final report on the equality and diversity aspects of the REF.
In response to these findings and recommendations, we have implemented a number of measures to improve the representativeness of the panels for REF 2021. See further information on these measures.
Equality impact assessment
The four UK funding bodies are committed to embedding equality and diversity in all aspects of REF policy and decision-making. An equality impact assessment was conducted alongside the process for determining the high-level decisions for REF 2021 (‘Initial decisions on the Research Excellence Framework 2021’ (REF 2017/01) and ‘Decisions on staff and outputs’ (REF 2017/04)).
The REF equality impact assessment is an iterative process, and the assessment will be treated as a working document to be updated at key points in the policy development process where concern about equalities impact is identified.
Equality impact assessment on the revised deadlines for REF 2021
A preliminary equality impact assessment was conducted during the process for consulting on, and agreeing, the revised submission deadline for REF 2021, following the exercise being paused in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Click here to read the full news item.
This Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is a working document. It will be reviewed by the funding bodies, with advice from the Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel (EDAP), in November 2020 and as necessary in response to significant changes to the level of disruption and consequent government advice.
Institutions' Codes of Practice
View Codes of Practice for all submitting HEIs here.