The British Academy responds to REF Results 2021

The British Academy has today responded to the results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, a national assessment of the quality of research taking place across UK universities.

The REF outcomes are used to inform the allocation of around £2 billion per year of public funding for universities’ research. The aim for research assessment is to secure the continuation of a world-class, dynamic and responsive research base across the full academic spectrum within UK higher education.

Research England manages the REF on behalf of all the 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.

Hetan Shah, Chief Executive of the British Academy, said:

“It is exciting to finally get access to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 results. There is, of course, much to digest but the results provide yet more evidence of the UK’s status as a world-leader in research and innovation, especially in the SHAPE subjects (the Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy). These results celebrate the role of healthy levels of quality-related research funding, which is vital in underpinning the UK’s entire research system.

“We are looking at the results in detail and will in the coming weeks and months publish analyses of the data, examining the overall health of the sector and the subjects we represent. We look forward to working with government and other stakeholders to maintain the UK’s status as a world-leader in SHAPE research and innovation.”