JISC

The allocation of research funding to higher education institutions will change when the Research Excellence Framework (REF) replaces the current Research Assessment Exercise.

Among the changes is the introduction for all subjects of some combination of metrics-based indicators, including bibliometrics where appropriate, as well as input from expert panels.

To help support these changes, JISC and JISC Infonet are running a project to understand the impact on higher education institutions’ processes and systems of adapting to the new framework. In particular, the project will document case studies from which the sector as a whole will be able to benefit. The cases studies will assess how current organisational practice and technical systems may need to be modified to accommodate the data collection requirements of the REF.

Graeme Rosenberg, REF Development Manager from HEFCE said: 'We are working with 22 pilot institutions to test the process of generating new bibliometrics indicators of research quality. JISC and JISC Infonet will be running a support project to understand the impact of this new indicator on institutions’ collection and management of data.’

Neil Jacobs, JISC programme manager for the project, said: 'The move to the Research Excellence Framework is a significant change for the higher education sector.

‘How the higher education community responds to this change will be high on their agendas and this project will document the evidence from some of the pilot institutions as to how this response can be effectively managed.’

There is large amount of preparatory work taking place to help higher education institutions adapt for the new framework with a full consultation taking place in mid 2009.

JISC is also working with the Research Information Network (RIN) on a study to see how research assessments influence their publication behaviour.