CASRAI Dictionary

Tag: ref 2029 timeline

  • REF 2029 Timeline: Panel Criteria to Submission

    The REF 2029 timeline runs from the 2023 “Initial Decisions” consultation through panel criteria-setting in 2026, a submission window opening in autumn 2027, a final submission deadline in autumn 2028, and publication of results in December 2029. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s system for assessing research quality across higher education institutions, run jointly by the four UK higher education funding bodies through Research England.

    Research administrators planning REF 2029 submissions need more than a single headline date — they need the full sequence: when criteria are finalised, when the output and impact eligibility periods start and end, when panels are recruited, and when institutions must submit. This guide lays out that end-to-end schedule in order, drawing on the official REF 2029 timetable published by Research England.

    What is the REF 2029 timeline, in brief?

    REF 2029 is the UK’s next national research assessment exercise, following REF 2021. It was originally planned as “REF 2028” but was renamed REF 2029 in December 2023 after Research England extended the schedule to allow more development time for new assessment elements. Under the current timetable, published by Research England’s REF 2029 site and last updated 10 December 2025, final results are scheduled for publication in December 2029.

    The exercise unfolds in four broad phases: policy and panel-building (2023–2025), criteria finalisation (2026), submission (2027–2028), and results and data publication (2029–2030). Each phase carries distinct deadlines that institutional REF leads need to track separately, since panel criteria, output/impact eligibility windows, and submission logistics are set on different clocks.

    2023–2025: policy development and panel recruitment

    The groundwork for REF 2029 began years before any submission window opened. Research England published “Initial Decisions” in summer 2023, setting out the high-level design of the next exercise, followed by a consultation period. In December 2023, the funding bodies confirmed the exercise would be renamed REF 2029, with results due in December 2029 rather than the originally planned 2028.

    Panel and policy work then proceeded on a rolling basis:

    • Spring 2024 — advisory panel recruitment opened alongside a consultation on the REF 2029 Open Access policy.
    • Summer 2024 — Expert Panel recruitment began, and a web-based policy publication approach was introduced.
    • Autumn/Winter 2024–2025 — the Open Access Policy and Volume Measure guidance (with associated Codes of Practice guidance) were published.
    • Summer 2025 — draft “Contributions to Knowledge and Understanding” guidance was published, and full Expert Panel membership was announced ahead of the criteria-setting phase.

    In September 2025, Research England announced a pause to REF 2029 criteria setting and the publication of final guidance, stating that any changes to the exercise would be announced by December 2025. On 10 December 2025, REF 2029 resumed: weightings were confirmed, the People, Culture and Environment (PCE) pilot report and indicators report were published, and updated Strategy, People and Research Environment (SPRE) and Engagement and Impact guidance followed. SPRE replaces the PCE element trialled in the pilot and builds on the REF 2021 Environment component — the single most significant structural change carried into REF 2029.

    2026: panel criteria setting and final guidance

    2026 is the year sub-panels finalise the rules institutions will submit against. Across winter, spring and summer 2026, sub-panels complete onboarding and Expert Panels meet to develop detailed assessment criteria and working methods, building on the guidance sections published through 2025.

    Research England has confirmed there will be no formal public consultation on this final guidance and the Panel Criteria and Working Methods — a deliberate step to protect the compressed schedule after the 2025 pause. Final Guidance on Submissions and the Panel Criteria and Working Methods documents are scheduled for publication in autumn 2026, giving institutions roughly a year’s notice before the submission window opens. Anonymised REF 2029 Steering Group and Panel meeting minutes and papers covering January 2023 to September 2026 are planned for publication in December 2026.

    2027–2028: submission window and census dates

    The submission phase is where planning turns into deadlines. Research England’s schedule sets out:

    • Winter 2026/2027 — the special requests process (for individual staff circumstances affecting output/impact counts) launches.
    • Spring 2027 — the survey of submission intentions opens, giving institutions an early formal checkpoint to signal likely unit-of-assessment submissions.
    • Summer 2027 — the survey of submission intentions and the special requests process both close.
    • Autumn 2027 — additional recruitment for assessment-phase panels takes place, and the submission window opens.
    • Autumn 2028 — the final submission deadline falls, and the formal assessment phase begins immediately afterwards.

    Running alongside the submission window are the fixed eligibility (census) periods that determine which staff, outputs and impact activity can be submitted. Research England’s published parameters set the output eligibility period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2028, and the impact assessment period from 1 August 2020 to 31 July 2028, with underpinning research for impact case studies eligible from as early as 1 January 2008. These dates are distinct from the submission deadline itself: an output can be eligible for REF 2029 without the submission window for that unit of assessment yet being open, and administrators should track eligibility and submission-window dates as two separate schedules, not one.

    REF 2029: submission-phase milestones vs. eligibility periods
    Milestone or period Scheduled date What it governs
    Survey of submission intentions Spring–Summer 2027 Early signal of institutional submission plans
    Submission window opens Autumn 2027 Institutions may begin formal submission
    Output eligibility (census) period 1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2028 Which research outputs qualify
    Impact assessment period 1 Aug 2020 – 31 Jul 2028 Which impact activity qualifies
    Underpinning research window (impact) From 1 Jan 2008 Earliest eligible research behind an impact case study
    Final submission deadline Autumn 2028 Last date to submit; assessment phase begins

    2029–2030: results and data publication

    Once submissions close in autumn 2028, the four expert main panels and their sub-panels assess outputs, impact case studies, and Strategy, People and Research Environment (formerly Environment/PCE) statements. Publication of REF 2029 results and quality profiles is planned for December 2029, the terminal date from which the exercise takes its name.

    Data and transparency publications follow in the new year: publication of submitted data and full final reports — including REF 2029 Steering Group and Panel meeting minutes and papers covering October 2026 to December 2029 — is planned for March 2030. Results inform the subsequent allocation of block-grant quality-related (QR) research funding across UK higher education institutions, in the same way REF 2021 outcomes shaped funding allocations from 2022 onward.

    Common REF 2029 timeline questions

    What period does REF 2029 cover?

    REF 2029 covers research outputs produced between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2028, and impact activity between 1 August 2020 and 31 July 2028, underpinned by research eligible from 1 January 2008. The submission deadline falls in autumn 2028, with results published in December 2029.

    What are the key changes for REF 2029?

    The most significant change is the replacement of the REF 2021 “Environment” element and the piloted “People, Culture and Environment” (PCE) approach with a new Strategy, People and Research Environment (SPRE) element. Other changes include revised Contributions to Knowledge and Understanding guidance, updated volume measure rules using HESA data, and a renamed, delayed exercise (originally “REF 2028”).

    What is the REF 2029 strategy element?

    The Strategy, People and Research Environment (SPRE) guidance assesses whether an institution’s research environment enables diverse, excellent research, supports its people, and contributes positively to the wider research ecosystem and society. It builds directly on the REF 2021 Environment component rather than replacing it wholesale.

    Is it REF 2028 or REF 2029?

    It is REF 2029. Research England originally planned the next exercise as “REF 2028,” but in December 2023, following consultation, it confirmed an extension to the timing, renaming the exercise REF 2029 with results now scheduled for December 2029 rather than 2028.

    Implications for research administrators

    Because REF 2029 combines a compressed criteria-setting phase (following the 2025 pause) with a submission window that does not open until autumn 2027, institutions have a narrower practical planning window than REF 2021 offered at the equivalent stage. Research offices should treat the autumn 2026 final guidance publication as the trigger point for internal REF preparation — code of practice reviews, output and impact case study identification, and HESA data reconciliation — rather than waiting for the submission window itself to open.

    Tracking the output eligibility period (2021–2028) separately from the submission window (2027–2028) also matters operationally: outputs published early in the eligibility period may need portability and authorship documentation gathered well before any submission system opens, particularly where staff move institutions during the assessment cycle.

    What to watch next

    The next fixed points on the REF 2029 timeline are the autumn 2026 final guidance publication, the spring 2027 survey of submission intentions, and the autumn 2027 submission window opening. Given the September–December 2025 pause already shifted internal milestones once, institutions should monitor Research England’s published timetable directly for further updates rather than relying on a fixed date without a recheck.

  • REF 2029 Pause Lifted: Criteria Setting Resumes

    The REF 2029 pause ended on 10 December 2025. The UK’s four higher education funding bodies confirmed the criteria-setting phase — halted for three months after a September 2025 ministerial announcement — has resumed, with updated guidance published and expert panels set to begin meeting in early 2026 to finalise assessment criteria. The overall submission deadline of autumn 2028 is unchanged.

    The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s system for assessing the quality, impact and environment of research produced by higher education institutions, with outcomes used to allocate roughly £2 billion in annual research funding across the four nations. REF 2029 is the fourth full exercise, following REF 2014 and REF 2021, and results are due in December 2029.

    What was the REF 2029 pause and why did it happen?

    On 4 September 2025, UK Science Minister Lord Vallance announced a pause to REF 2029 criteria setting at the Universities UK annual conference. The same day, the four UK higher education funding bodies — Research England, the Scottish Funding Council, Medr (Wales’ Commission for Tertiary Education and Research), and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland — jointly confirmed the pause in a statement describing it as an opportunity to “take stock, ensure alignment with government priorities and vision for higher education, and reflect on feedback from the sector.”

    The funding bodies were explicit that the overall REF timetable would not be delayed, even though the pause affected specific milestones: publication of final guidance modules and the REF 2029 Code of Practice approval process were both pushed back, with institutional REF contacts notified about revised Code of Practice submission windows. Panel members for the criteria-setting phase were appointed on the same day the pause was announced, so that work could resume quickly once the framework was finalised. The funding bodies committed to announcing the outcome by December 2025 — a commitment they met.

    What changed when REF 2029 resumed in December 2025?

    On 10 December 2025, REF 2029 published a package of updates confirming the pause had lifted and criteria setting had resumed. The most substantive change was to the assessment element formerly called People, Culture and Environment (PCE), which has been renamed Strategy, People and Research Environment (SPRE). SPRE builds on the REF 2021 Environment component and draws directly on findings from the People, Culture and Environment Pilot, whose final report was published the same day.

    The funding bodies also refined the weightings across all three assessment elements. In line with feedback from the sector and the pilot’s results, the final split is:

    Assessment element REF 2029 weighting (confirmed 10 Dec 2025) Notes
    Contributions to Knowledge and Understanding (CKU) 55% Simplified and clarified; unit-level statements removed
    Engagement and Impact (E&I) 25% Broadly retained from REF 2021; unit-level statements removed
    Strategy, People and Research Environment (SPRE) 20% Replaces PCE; builds on REF 2021 Environment component

    Other confirmed simplifications reduce reporting burden without reopening the core Initial Decisions on REF 2029 published in 2023. The recommended maximum of five outputs per researcher is reinstated for clarity, but the minimum of one has been removed to avoid pressure on individual researchers. Outputs remain decoupled from individuals under the substantive link policy, with simplified requirements and limited portability introduced for long-form and extended-process research outputs. Impact case study requirements are reduced to one for the smallest submitting units, and the 2* qualifying threshold for underpinning research has been removed.

    • Unit-level statements removed from both CKU and Engagement and Impact
    • Maximum of five outputs per researcher reinstated; minimum of one removed
    • Impact case study minimum reduced to one for the smallest units
    • Limited portability for long-form and extended-process outputs, alongside continued decoupling under the substantive link policy
    • Small-unit exemption process retained from REF 2021, with expanded eligibility

    What did UKRI and Research England confirm about the 2026 restart?

    Research England, acting on behalf of all four funding bodies, confirmed that REF panels will begin meeting in early 2026 to set detailed criteria and finalise the Panel Criteria and Working Methods documents. An Institutional-Level Working Group dedicated to the new SPRE element will also be established as part of this restart.

    Notably, the funding bodies confirmed there will be no formal consultation on the resulting guidance or on the Panel Criteria and Working Methods, a deliberate choice made “to maintain the original timetable.” This is a material procedural difference from REF 2021, where panel criteria went through public consultation before finalisation — institutions should not expect a further comment period before criteria are locked in during 2026. The REF team and funding bodies have said they will continue engaging with the sector through other channels as the panels do this work.

    REF 2029 Director Rebecca Fairbairn described the exercise as “a framework built with and for the sector,” while Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern said the sector “strongly welcome[s] this pragmatic approach,” calling it evidence that “the four UK funding bodies have listened carefully to researchers and universities.”

    What does this mean for institutional planning timelines?

    For research offices, the practical headline is that the submission deadline has not moved: REF 2029 submissions remain due in autumn 2028, with results published in December 2029. What has moved is the sequencing of guidance institutions need in order to plan.

    Milestone Date
    REF 2029 (originally REF 2028) confirmed and renamed December 2023 (Initial Decisions)
    Pause to criteria setting and final guidance announced 4-5 September 2025
    Updated guidance published; pause lifted; criteria setting resumes 10 December 2025
    REF panels begin meeting to set criteria and finalise guidance Early 2026
    Institutional submission deadline Autumn 2028
    Results published December 2029

    Because there will be no formal consultation on the criteria panels finalise from early 2026, institutional REF strategy groups have a narrower window than in previous cycles to influence detail before it is locked in. Research offices should treat the December 2025 guidance updates — CKU, Engagement and Impact, SPRE, and Code of Practice sections — as the operative baseline for internal planning now, rather than waiting for a further consultation round that will not occur.

    The revised Code of Practice approval process and submission windows, delayed during the pause, are now confirmed and should be diarised alongside internal REF strategy group timetables. Institutions holding PCE pilot evidence should map it against the new SPRE guidance rather than starting from scratch, since SPRE is built directly on the REF 2021 Environment component and the pilot findings.

    Frequently asked questions

    What period does REF 2029 cover?

    REF 2029 assesses research activity, outputs, impact and environment across a defined assessment period running up to the autumn 2028 submission deadline, with results published in December 2029. Exact census and output period dates are set out in the REF 2029 timetable, updated alongside the December 2025 guidance following the pause.

    What are the key changes for REF 2029?

    The confirmed changes include renaming People, Culture and Environment to Strategy, People and Research Environment (SPRE), revised weightings of 55% CKU, 25% Engagement and Impact and 20% SPRE, removal of unit-level statements, a reinstated five-output maximum, and reduced impact case study minimums for smaller units.

    Is it REF 2028 or REF 2029?

    The exercise was originally planned as REF 2028. Following consultation, the funding bodies confirmed in December 2023 that the timeline would extend, renaming it REF 2029, with submissions in autumn 2028 and results published in December 2029.

    What is the REF 2029 strategy element?

    Strategy, People and Research Environment (SPRE) is the REF 2029 element, weighted at 20%, that assesses institutional research strategy, support for people, and the wider research environment. It builds on the REF 2021 Environment component and incorporates findings from the People, Culture and Environment Pilot.

    The restart confirms that REF 2029 remains on its original autumn 2028 submission timeline despite the 2025 pause, but with a compressed, consultation-free path from panel criteria-setting in early 2026 through to finalised guidance. Institutions that treat the December 2025 updates as settled — rather than provisional — will be best placed to align internal REF strategy group planning, Code of Practice submissions, and SPRE evidence-gathering with the funding bodies’ revised sequence.