REF & Policy Impact

Overview

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the system for assessing research in UK higher education institutions, instituted by the UK’s four HE funding  bodies. As part of REF, the ‘impact’ of each submitting HEI’s research is assessed within disciplinary and cross-disciplinary case studies. For the purposes of REF, impact is defined as ‘an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia’.

Below are examples of top-ranked (4*) case studies depicting policy impacts - both domestic and international - taken from the most recent REF exercise in 2014. Included are examples from Ulster’s Transitional Justice Institute, which was ranked first for impact within law across the UK.

Section I: REF 2014 top-ranking case studies with domestic policy impact

1. HEI: Ulster University

Unit of assessment: Law

Case study title: Framing transitional justice practice: dealing with the past in Northern Ireland

Synopsis: outlines how research from Ulster’s Transitional Justice Institute has directly shaped Northern Ireland government policy on dealing with the legacy of the conflict in the jurisdiction.

2. HEI: University of Oxford

Unit of Assessment: Social work and social policy

Case study title: Regulating labour immigration: labour markets, welfare states and public policy

Synopsis: outlines impact on UK government labour migration policy.

3. HEI: University of York

Unit of assessment: Social work and social policy

Case study title: Child support research and policy impacts

Synopsis: sets out how research influenced UK government child support policy.

4. HEI: University of Bristol

Unit of assessment: Public health, health services and primary care

Case study title: Avoiding harm and evaluating benefit: establishing and implementing an evidence-based policy for prostate cancer screening in the UK

Synopsis: describes how research has shaped UK government policy on prostrate cancer screening.

5. HEI: Durham University

Unit of assessment: Education

Case study title: The pupil premium toolkit: building impact from evidence

Synopsis: depicts impact on UK government educational policy to address the effects of poverty on pupil attainment.

Section II: REF 2014 top-ranking case studies with international policy impact

1. HEI: Ulster University

Unit of Assessment: Law

Case study title: Gender, conflict and transition

Synopsis: outlines how research from Ulster’s Transitional Justice Institute has directly shaped UN policymaking on gender and conflict.

2. HEI: University of Oxford

Unit of assessment: social work and social policy

Case study title: Reducing child anti-social behaviour through effective parenting interventions: international impact on policy, practitioners and families

Synopsis: describes how research effected policy change within the World Health Organisation and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in respect of family intervention programming and development.