Major reforms to the UK¡¯s research excellence framework will seek to deliver ¡°accountability for public funding without complex bureaucracy¡±, the Westminster government has said.

Amanda Solloway, the science minister in Boris Johnson¡¯s administration, was set to announce the review during a speech on 20?October.

The REF, which is used to distribute about ?2?billion in research funding annually, is currently based on peer assessments of research outputs conducted in universities across the UK. Panels also examine the impact of that research as well as the environment in which it was conducted.

However, academics have criticised the administrative burden attached to participating in the exercise, and have claimed that the results are open to ¡°game-playing¡±.

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Speaking at an event organised by the Higher Education Policy Institute and Elsevier, Ms?Solloway was expected to confirm that Research England would work with its counterparts in the devolved nations on a plan to ¡°reform¡± the?REF.

The shake-up ¡°could allow researchers to spend more quality time focusing on diverse and transformative projects, while achieving accountability for public funding without complex bureaucracy¡±, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said. It is due to take place once the 2021 assessment exercise has concluded.

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Ms Solloway was due to say that the UK needed ¡°sensible ways to evaluate research¡±.

¡°We need to make bold decisions, which is why today I?have asked Research England to work with the devolved nations to develop plans to reform the research excellence framework,¡± Ms Solloway was expected to say.

¡°These reforms will make certain the UK remains at the forefront of research and innovation and create an environment where our incredible researchers can unleash their full potential.¡±

UK Research and Innovation has already said that it is keen to give greater weighting to universities¡¯ efforts to develop research careers and a supportive academic culture in the next edition of the REF.

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The REF review forms part of a wider Westminster government agenda to reduce bureaucracy in research funding, which is seen as being pushed forward by Mr?Johnson¡¯s top adviser, Dominic Cummings. This has already led to a simplification of grant application processes, and plans for a new research funder supporting ¡°high risk, high reward¡± projects.

chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com