What is the RRE?
Please note, this page refers to pre-2021 Research Review Exercises. Future RRE guidance will be updated in due course.
The Research Review Exercise is an annual mandatory exercise for all REF-eligible staff. The RRE consists of peer review of outputs, providing grades for the quality of key individual research outputs published since 1st January 2014.
Why have an RRE?
The RRE is designed to be one element of our research strategy to help raise the quality of research performance across the University and to improve the quality of internal management information. It also makes preparations easier for future REF evaluation exercises. We are grateful for the time that you take to complete the exercise.
What is different this year?
As in previous years, you can propose any number of outputs that you believe are likely to be judged 3* or 4*, although we would not expect individuals to have more than six new outputs and in exceptional cases we may need to limit the number of outputs that are reviewed from an individual. The output supporting text requirements now align with the REF 2021 guidance and we would ask that you carefully consider guidance which can be found here.
You are again being asked to ensure that your Activities and Impact sections of Pure are up-to-date. For more detailed guidance on this, please visit the Activities and Impact page.
What do I need to do?
Log into Pure, and use the RRE tab to update your output selection by proposing the outputs that you believe are likely to be judged internationally excellent (3*) or world-leading (4*).
You will need to provide output supporting text for each output, see the Faculty guidance section for what is required.
For more information on proposing outputs click here.
Do I have to complete the RRE?
The RRE includes all staff on the University payroll who are independent researchers (in REF2021 terms*). This means the following staff are not included:
- Staff with explicit teaching-focused or teaching and scholarship contracts.
- Research assistants and research associates.
Eligible members of staff will be contacted directly via email to ask them to complete the RRE ahead of the deadline.
*Academic staff with a contract of employment of 0.2 FTE or greater, on the payroll of the submitting institution on the census date, whose primary employment function is to undertake either ‘research only’ or ‘teaching and research'. Research assistants and associates are not eligible to be returned to the REF unless, exceptionally, they meet the definition of an independent researcher on the census date and satisfy the above requirements. RA’s are not eligible purely on the basis that they are named on research outputs.