REF 2014 winners: who performed best?

Reader's comments (8)

#1 Submitted by simon.... on December 18, 2014 - 6:44am

But the said institution doesn't exist under this name anymore.

#2 Submitted by DStewart on December 18, 2014 - 1:04pm

Market share of research power. What a nauseating phrase. Academic research is not a market, it is not a zero sum game. I think it says a lot about the people who formulated and administer the REF that they use such language.

#3 Submitted by Dash Hammett on December 18, 2014 - 9:15pm

'Some observers prefer the research power measure to GPA as the basis for rankings because it gives a better sense of which institutions are likely to win the most quality-related research funding' And actually getting more money tells us what, exactly, about the excellence of a university's research ? And while I'm at it, the 'some observers' would get a red-ink question mark on an essay I was marking. Which observers ? It matters, because then we might know from which position they observe. Come on THE, shape up.

#4 Submitted by regentdenton on December 19, 2014 - 9:20am

Can someone at THE calculate the weighted GPA i.e. = GPA x proportion of academic staff submitted

#5 Submitted by csatterley1 on December 19, 2014 - 9:46am

@Michael Brockhurst - this is what research power is.

#6 Submitted by Jim_sta on December 19, 2014 - 11:02am

@christopher satterely No, this is GPA intensity. @Michael Brockhurst Agreed but the HESA data are a mess, so its hard to do

#7 Submitted by paul.... on December 19, 2014 - 1:23pm

@Michael Brockurst - see http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/ref-2014-winners-and-losers-in-intensity-ranking/2017633.article

#8 Submitted by Iles on December 20, 2014 - 8:52pm

This new Research Power claim is all nonsense - unless everyone plays by the same rules (i.e all staff must submitted or only your best). In terms of the old GPA rules Cardiff Metropolitian University played a blinder: A score up in the ranks of the Russell group elite! Why, because it submitted a limited number of staff in a limited number of Units. Truly "islands of excellences" (remember that phrase) which HEFCE could point at and specifically fund in the non-Research intensive Universities. What do we have now with research power? A complete mess, what will foreign governments make of it? So research excellence is not important anymore, it is volume? Is it any volume of research regardless?. Clearly, the post 92's in general can not produce excellence at volume and when the funding formula finally appears (only 3* and 4* fractions being funded and STEM financially more so) let us see if the THE power calculation correlates closely with the QR awards.

Man searching for money in a maze, as an illustration of the difficulties involved in securing funding through the Research Excellence Framework.

Where now for the REF?

The Research Excellence Framework has been postponed for three months ‘to take stock and ensure alignment with the UK government’s priorities and vision for higher education’. But how radical should the changes be? Should there be any at all? Is it time to start again? We present five very different views

By Cat Davies

26 September