
Research performance
How does REF work?
REF takes place every seven years, with the latest results published in May 2022, having been postponed from 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. Each subject area is assessed under ‘units of assessment’, with higher education institutions deciding which areas to submit in.
Each REF submission includes: details of selected staff, research outputs, impact case studies, data about research income and PGR degrees awarded and a completed template to describe the research environment.
How is research scored?

Four star: world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
Three star: internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but falls short of the highest standards.
Two star: recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
One star: recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
Unclassified: falls below the standard of nationally recognised work, or does not meet the published definition.