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Submissions

The deadline for submissions to the REF was 29 November 2013. All 155 higher education institutions that intended to participate in the REF made their submissions by the deadline.

Aggregate data about submissions is provided below. In summary:

  • 52,077 Category A full-time equivalent (FTE) staff were submitted to the REF. This compares with 52,401 submitted to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).
  • The largest change in staff volume compared with the RAE is in Main Panel B, which has increased by 9 per cent (from 12,234 Category A FTE submitted to the 2008 RAE, to 13,352 submitted to the REF).
  • A total of 191,232 research outputs were submitted. This compares with a total of 215,507 outputs submitted to the RAE.
  • As a key measure for supporting equality and diversity, allowances were made for staff to be submitted with fewer than four outputs due to individual circumstances. These allowances were widely used:
    • 16,361 staff of a total headcount of 56,089 were submitted with individual circumstances.
    • Of these, 10,099 were submitted as early career researchers (ECRs).
    • In the REF, staff were submitted with an average of 3.41 outputs per individual. This compares to an average of 3.75 outputs per individual submitted to the 2008 RAE.
  • 6,975 impact case studies were submitted to the REF.
Summary of submissions data
 TotalMain Panel AMain Panel BMain Panel CMain Panel D
Submissions (2014 REF and 2008 RAE)
REF: Number of submissions 1,911 312 403 614 582
RAE: Number of submissions 2,363 466 485 658 754
Staff volume (2014 REF and 2008 RAE)
REF: Category A staff (FTE) 52,077 13,611 13,352 14,415 10,698
RAE: Category A staff (FTE) 52,401 14,086 12,234 14,834 11,247
REF: Category A and C staff (headcount) 56,089 14,761 13,973 15,492 11,863
RAE: Category A and C staff (headcount) 57,523 15,539 12,998 16,073 12,913
Staff circumstances (2014 REF only)
Staff with any individual circumstances 16,361 4,302 3,142 4,819 4,098
Staff with complex circumstances 1,032 205 121 386 320
Staff with clearly-defined circumstances 15,329 4,097 3,021 4,433 3,778
Staff with ECR as a clearly-defined circumstance 10,099 2,595 2,435 2,972 2,097
Staff with part-time working, career break or secondment as a clearly-defined circumstance 3,358 772 410 886 1,290
Staff with maternity, paternity or adoption leave as a clearly-defined circumstance 2,601 822 276 806 697
Outputs (2014 REF and 2008 RAE)
REF: Number of outputs submitted 191,232 50,317 49,341 52,224 39,350
RAE: Number of outputs submitted 215,507 59,887 50,669 58,494 46,457
REF: Number of outputs per member of staff 3.41 3.41 3.53 3.37 3.32
RAE: Number of outputs per member of staff 3.75 3.85 3.90 3.64 3.60
REF: Outputs requested as double-weighted 5,702 18 36 1,138 4,510
Impact case studies (2014 REF only)
Number of impact case studies submitted 6,975 1,621 1,667 2,040 1,647

Notes

  • For 2008 RAE figures, RAE Units of assessment (UOAs) are mapped to REF Main Panels based on the REF UOA descriptors set out in the Panel criteria and working methods (REF 01.2012).
  • For 2014 REF figures, each output requested as double-weighted is counted as two outputs; reserve outputs are excluded.
  • Definitions of Category A and C staff are given in Assessment framework and guidance on submissions (REF 02.2011).

The REF expert panels are now assessing submissions and the outcomes will be published on 18 December 2014. The submissions will be published in early 2015.

The Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel will produce a report on the measures to support equality and diversity in the REF, including the allowances for individual circumstances.

Submission guidance documents

The following documents and web-pages provided institutions with guidance on submissions: