HEFCE makes early decision on REF maternity rules

The Higher Education Funding Council for England will allow researchers taking maternity leave to submit one fewer than the standard four pieces of work for assessment in the Research Excellence Framework. This option was favoured over the alternative HEFCE proposal—a scale for researchers taking time off that would allow them to submit one fewer piece of work after a 14-month absence—by the “overwhelming majority” of respondents to a consultation [see RF 19/10/2011, p5 via link below].