HEFCE prepares to consult on the next REF

A 14-week consultation on the future of the Research Excellence Framework will begin at the end of November, Research Fortnight has learned.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England is expected to run the consultation for the UK’s devolved higher education funding councils. Town hall meetings are being planned alongside a “lengthy written consultation,” said David Sweeney, HEFCE’s research director.

The move follows a letter, dated 13 October, from Jo Johnson, the universities minister, confirming that HEFCE would oversee the development of the next REF.