Revision of REF 2021 Code of Practice in October 2020
Following revisions by the UK REF team to the overall timetable for REF 2021 and other changes to take account of the effects of Covid-19, all higher education institutions were given the opportunity to revise their approved REF Code of Practice. As a result, the University’s Code was amended to reflect changes to internal and external timelines. The two main changes were:
- Amendment of the indicative timescale for determining research independence to reflect an extension to the time required for completion of the exercise
- Inclusion of an additional deadline for the disclosure of individual circumstances to allow consideration of any Covid-19 related circumstances (along with any other newly disclosed circumstances) using the University’s existing processes before final submission decisions were made.
The principles, approach and commitments outlined in the Code did not change and the revised University of Dundee REF 2021 Code of Practice continued to provide the framework for the development of the University's submission and inform key decisions for REF 2021.
The revisions to the Code were recommended by our REF Staff Circumstances and Independence Group, a subgroup of the REF Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group, approved internally by the REF Steering Group and externally by the Scottish Funding Council.
We have provided a summary of all revisions made to the Code of Practice
The four UK funding bodies developed a REF 2021 Codes of Practice complaints and investigations process to allow alleged breaches of the processes set out in an institution's Code of Practice to be investigated. The complaints and investigations process opened on 1 April 2021 and closed on 30 November 2021 (with a second deadline of 30 June 2022 for complaints arising from the publication of the REF results in May 2022).