The REF team is looking for people in the Research job family to participate in a focus group for Equality Impact Assessment for REF 2029.
Background
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a UK-wide exercise assessing research quality across higher education institutions. The next REF will take place in 2029, and Imperial is committed to ensuring our processes are fair, transparent, and inclusive.
This is a crucial activity for Imperial College London as the outcome of REF directly influences the funding we receive from Research England. Since 2022, Imperial has received £50-60m per year because of our excellent performance in REF 2021.
Focus Group:
The REF team are seeking up to 20 individuals from across Imperial’s staff networks who collectively represent the diversity of our community to attend an approximately one-hour focus group.
You will be provided with a copy of the draft Code of Practice in advance of the session. During the session you will have the opportunity to:
- Contribute to making the CoP as inclusive and equitable as possible.
- Identify potential positive and negative equality impacts of the processes outlined in the Code.
- Share insights that will inform our initial EIA.
The session will be co-facilitated by the central REF team and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre (EDIC). Your input will form a critical part of our initial EIA. Before our final REF submission in 2028, we will conduct at least two interim EIAs and a final EIA which will also include statistical analysis of the impact of implementing our CoP processes.
Details:
- Date: Thursday 15th January 2026 13:00-14:00
- Format: 60–90 minute hybrid session.
- Location: Faculty Building, South Kensington and online via Teams.
- Who should attend: Members of staff networks who can provide insight into equality, diversity, and inclusion considerations. Primarily those in Academic and Research job families, but any staff outside of these job families who still work with researchers and might have unique perspectives are welcome as well.
- Benefits: All attendees will receive a £10 Amazon Gift voucher as well as a free lunch!
How to Get Involved
Please register your interest in contributing by completing our registration form by 10am on Thursday 8th January 2026. The REF team aims to bring together a group that reflects a broad range of perspectives and experiences across Imperial.
If you have any questions, please contact the central REF team at ref.team@imperial.ac.uk.
Your contribution will help shape a fair and transparent process for REF 2029 and ensure Imperial continues to lead in research excellence and upholds our strong commitment to EDI.