What the REF?!
by HiddenREF
Latest episode
What the REF: GONE ROGUE!
What the REF: GONE ROGUE!
About this podcast
Welcome What the REF - Our attempt at demystifying everyone's favourite national research assessment exercise! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 29 episodes
- What the REF: GONE ROGUE! · 46 min · Season 1 Episode 28Simon's away, so James and Gemma are going rogue. This week: two autumn predictions land, a £1bn devolution push and a new research data policy. Then the British Academy's report…
- What the REF is Michael reading?! · 39 min · Season 1 Episode 27The REF 2029 guidance finally has a date... Sort of. James, Ola and Michael unpack what that means, then dig into UKRI’s reported plans to phase out QR funding for research…
- What the REF are we expecting this Autumn?! · 43 min · Season 1 Episode 26REF rules are (probably) coming this autumn — but what else is heading the sector's way? James, Gemma and Simon (plus one uninvited chicken) map out the season ahead: the budget…
- What the REF do you get out of submitting to the Hidden REF Competition?! · 46 min · Season 1 Episode 25The Hidden REF competition is back! Bigger, busier and more diverse than ever. But why should you enter? In this episode, the What the REF team hears from three previous winners…
- What the REF is it like to start the REF?! · 1 h 7 min · Season 1 Episode 24How do you do your first REF when there is no instruction manual? In this episode of What the REF, we meet Arts University Plymouth as they prepare for their very first REF…
- What the REF did we learn at ARMA?! · 36 min · Season 1 Episode 23Episode 23 of What the REF looks back at the recent ARMA Conference and the team’s take on various sessions there on the Research Excellence Framework. Gemma, Ola, and James…
- What the REF: In conversation with Steven Hill · 44 min · Season 1 Episode 22Find out more about the HiddenREF campaign at Hidden-REF.org 'What the REF' is made possible by the Embedding Trust in Evaluation (E-TIE) research grant from Research England…
- What the REF?! It's the 2026 Hidden REF Competition! · 21 min · Season 1 Episode 21In this special episode of What the REF, the team officially launches the 2026 Hidden REF Competition and explores how it has evolved from a one-off initiative into a wider…
- What the REF can be measured? · 31 min · Season 1 Episode 20This episode of What the REF explores some of the biggest tensions shaping REF and the wider research sector. Gemma, Simon and Lyndsey discuss a criticism of the measurement of…
- What the REF do REF institutional leads do?! · 59 min · Season 1 Episode 19Inside the REF machine: this episode of What the Ref lifts the lid on life as an institutional lead. Featuring Gemma Fitzsimmons and Julie Northam, we explore the realities of…
- What the REF is happening with books?! · 1 h 0 min · Season 1 Episode 18This week on What the Ref, the team heads to Plymouth for a lively workshop on non-traditional outputs before diving into a fascinating interview with Gareth Cole on the future…
- What the REF is work/life balance?! · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 17Dive into the latest episode of What the REF?, where the team unpacks shifting UK research funding, REF 2029 updates, and what an interim director could mean for the sector. From…
- What the REF is the Hidden REF Competition?! · 35 min · Season 1 Episode 16Discover the story behind the Hidden REF Competition in this special episode of What the REF. James and Lindsay explain how the initiative celebrates the vital but often…
- What the REF do we do without Rebecca?! · 40 min · Season 1 Episode 15Research culture, open access battles, and major REF leadership news — this episode of What the REF?! unpacks the forces reshaping UK academia. The team reflects on the…
- What the REF happened on our community call?! · 22 min · Season 1 Episode 14This episode of What the Ref mixes REF chat with community energy as James returns, Researchfish’s impending closure sparks lively debate, and the team reflects on what…
- What the REF is needed to assess research outputs fairly?! · 38 min · Season 1 Episode 13A new year of ‘REF-iness’ kicks off as the What the REF team unpack the fallout from December’s REF changes and look ahead to what 2026 holds. With the dust now settling, the…
- What the REF do HR have to do with the REF?! · 45 min · Season 1 Episode 12This week on What the REF?!, Ola and James start to unpack the long-awaited REF announcement from December, sharing first reactions and a palpable sense of relief across the…
- Breaking News! The Pause is Over! What the REF is happening now?! · 11 min · Season 1Simon and Ola are live at the 2025 Research & Innovation Conference, hearing Professor Dame Jessica Corner outline how REF2029 is moving forward - and we’ve got immediate…
- What the REF do we want for Christmas?! · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 11Find out more about the HiddenREF campaign at Hidden-REF.org 'What the REF' is made possible by the Embedding Trust in Evaluation (E-TIE) research grant from Research England…
- What the REF do people want to know?! · 46 min · Season 1 Episode 10In this lively episode of What the Ref, Gemma, James and Simon guide listeners through the endlessly surprising world of the Research Excellence Framework. Proceedings begin with…
