Key REF roles for Swansea academics

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Swansea University academics have been appointed to key roles in the next Research Excellence Framework (REF), it has been announced.

REF 2021

REF is conducted on behalf of the four UK higher education funding bodies and is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

REF have now announced members to the four main panels and the 34 sub-panels for the first stage of the REF 2021 exercise, following a nominations process which resulted in more than 4,000 nominations being made.

The Swansea University appointments are:

  • Dr Laura Healy, REF Coordinator for Swansea University Medical School - Panel Secretary for REF2021
  • Professor David Blackaby - sub-panel member for Business and Management
  • Professor Siwan Davies - subpanel member for Geography and Environmental studies
  • Professor Oubay Hassan - subpanel member for Engineering
  • Professor John Tucker - subpanel member for Computer Science and Informatics

REF Roles

The members were selected to include leading researchers and individuals with expertise in the wider use and benefits of research, as well as members with an international perspective. The sub-panel members appointed for this stage will help develop the main panel criteria over the course of 2018.

The academics join Swansea University’s Senior Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Hilary Lappin-Scott in carrying out key roles in REF2021.

Professor Lappin-Scott has been appointed Chair of the Research Excellence Framework’s (REF) sub-panel covering Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, having been a member of the panel during the last REF assessment period.

She currently leads on Research and Innovation and Strategic Development for Swansea University and is a Professor of Microbial Ecology.

Professor Lappin-Scott is also a member of the REF’s Research Interdisciplinary Research Advisory Panel (IDAP) which advises the REF team, REF panel chairs and the UK funding bodies on the approach to support the submission and assessment of interdisciplinary research in the REF process.

More information is available here