SBS academic appointed to REF 2029 secretariat
Dr Julia Smith, Reader in Accounting & Finance, has been appointed as an Advisor for REF (Research Excellence Framework) 2029. The REF is the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. It first took place in 2014 and 2021 and the next exercise is planned for 2029.
The REF outcomes are used to inform the allocation of around £2 billion per year of public funding for universities’ research. The REF is a process of expert review, carried out by sub-panels focused on subject-based units of assessment (UoAs), under the guidance of overarching main panels and advisory panels.
The REF Team have now announced the full membership of the secretariat for REF 2029 - the secretariat plays a key role in the development and delivery of the assessment framework and comprises two different positions: 12 panel advisors who provide high level procedural guidance to a main panel and a group of sub-panels and 21 panel secretaries who provide high-quality, dedicated secretariat support and procedural guidance to up to two sub-panels .
REF Director Rebecca Fairbairn said, “Secretaries and Advisors are a crucial component of the REF exercise and the REF team, they provide the connectivity that holds this complicated programme together. I am immensely grateful to those who took the time to apply, it was an incredibly strong field and I am pleased we will be benefiting from such a wealth of experience from these appointees.”
On news of her appointment, Julia said, “I am hugely honoured to have been invited to join the REF2029 Panel as one of only 12 Advisors - and the only one from Scotland - at this crucial stage in the process. As we know, the REF is extremely important for UK universities as it directly influences funding allocation, institutional reputation, and strategic decisions as well as impacting university rankings, attracting students and staff, and influencing international collaborations. At the REF Secretariat training meeting in London recently it was exciting to meet other panel members, along with panel secretaries, to learn more about what this important role entails. I look forward to working closely with the Secretariat and Chairs of the Main and Sub Panels in setting the criteria and developing the framework for the forthcoming REF.”
Published: 23 April 2025
