The UK’s higher education funding bodies (HEFCW, Research England, Scottish Funding Council, and Department for Economy, Northern Ireland) have made initial decisions on the high-level design of the next Research Excellence Framework (REF). 

The next REF will conclude in 2028 and will assess research and impact between 2021 and 2027. 

The early decisions made are published in the Initial Decisions report and are in response to key drivers for change emerging from the evaluation and consultation activities. They also take into account wider research policies and developments within the UK and international initiatives to improve research assessment. 

The Initial Decisions report outlines issues for further consultation to support further work in developing a more detailed guidance and criteria for REF 2028. The consultation survey can be found on the UKRI Citizen Space website. You can respond to the survey in Welsh or in English. 

As a nominating body, we will work with our Fellows to develop our response to the proposals.