Remit

The REF Steering Group (Section 6 of the Code of Practice) is charged with ensuring that the resultant REF profile accurately reflects the excellence in research at the University of St Andrews and will pursue strategic decisions that shape the submission to REF 2014 and is supported by Policy Officers from the Research Policy Office. The Deputy Principal and Vice Principal (Research) is responsible for communicating all decisions and information on REF to the Office of the Principal. The Deputy Principal and Vice Principal (Research) and the Master are responsible for the ultimate decisions with regards to the most appropriate Units of Assessment (UOAs) to submit to REF 2014. The REF Steering Group is supported by Policy Officers from the Research Policy Office. The REF Steering Group is responsible for overseeing all REF strategy and planning activities.

(Section 7 of the Code of Practice): REF Steering Group will determine the University of St Andrews Quality Threshold for submission to REF 2014, which will be applied across all UOAs.

Membership

The composition of the REF Steering Group is approved by the Principal’s Office and provides a strong mix of previous research assessment experience and broad representation of research disciplines.

Deputy Principal and Vice Principal (Research): Professor Chris Hawkesworth
Master: Professor Neville Richardson
Provost: Professor Malcolm MacLeod
Member of the Academic Senate: Professor Peter Clark
Member of the Academic Senate: Professor Sarah Broadie
Member of the Academic Senate: Berry Professor Lorna Hutson

Remit

The UOA REF Executive Panel (Section 6 of the Code of Practice) take the decision on who will be included in the submission to each REF UOA based on recommendations from relevant Heads of School and UOA Directors of Research following the outcomes of REF Interviews with individual staff members. (Section 7 of the Code of Practice): Following REF Interviews, the UOA REF Executive Panels will meet and, taking all relevant circumstances into account, will make initial decisions regarding who will be submitted to REF 2014 based on the recommendations from the REF Interviews. These panels will meet in late autumn 2012 and spring 2013 and further meetings will be arranged as required. Where possible, all initial non-submission decisions will have been completed by end of April 2013. The UOA REF Executive Panels will meet from autumn 2012 to make the first round of decisions on staff submission to REF 2014. The initial decisions will be based on the key principle of the quality of the research, taking due consideration of this Code of Practice. The criteria for inclusion into REF 2014 are first an eligibility decision based on the REF guidance and then an output selection and assessment process based on a University-wide Quality Threshold.

Membership

Relevant Head(s) of School
Relevant Director(s) of Research Senior member of academic staff, of same gender as interviewee (optional)
Member of staff, e.g. with specific expertise, as required if requested by the REF Steering Group
REF Steering Group

Remit

The Institutional REF Equality and Diversity Review Group (Section 7 of the Code of Practice): Any initial decisions by the UOA REF Executive Panel to ‘exclude’ a member of staff from the submission to REF will be reviewed by the Institutional REF Equality and Diversity Review Group (referred to as the ‘Review Group’). The University has established the Review Group with the remit of ensuring that, where an initial ‘exclusion’ decision has been made, the Review Group considers carefully any circumstances that are covered by equal opportunities legislation or other relevant circumstances that may have significantly, adversely affected their potential contribution to the submission. The Review Group will have access to any individual staff circumstances, with the permission of the individual, that have been raised by the individual (Section 8 of the Code of Practice) and also information from the Executive Panel on the ‘exclusion’ decision. Confidential records of the Group’s discussions will be kept, and this approach should ensure a consistent basis for judgement across all UOAs. This group will report findings to the relevant UOA REF Executive Panel, with further consultation between the two groups, as necessary, until a final decision is agreed. If a final decision is taken that an individual will not be submitted to REF 2014, this will be communicated as soon as possible following the final decision in writing by the Head of School on behalf of the UOA REF Executive Panel to the staff member. Where possible, all final non-submission decisions will have been made and communicated to relevant staff members by end of June 2013.

The Review Group may also be requested to review, with the permission of the individual REF-eligible staff member, any case of individual circumstances flagged to Human Resources (Section 8 of the Code of Practice) where a judgement on complex circumstances may be required. This could apply to staff in ‘included’ and ‘pending’ categories upon request by the individual.

Monitoring/Impact Assessment (Section 9 of the Code of Practice) To monitor the impact of the REF, the University will prepare an equality profile in terms of age, disability, gender and ethnicity of staff eligible for submission, covering those who are submitted and those who are not. Members of staff are able to update their confidential equality profile online via the Human Resources ‘Self Service’ facility; this is available at: www.st-andrews.ac.uk/selfservice. This profile will be continuously monitored as it evolves throughout the REF process to ensure that no group of staff is unfairly treated. The University Equality & Diversity Officer will provide updates on the profile to the Review Group and the University will take appropriate action to address areas of potential discrimination. Following submission the University will publish the final EIA.

Mambership

Convenor: Member of the Principal’s Office
Either the Dean of Science or the Dean of Arts
Equality and Diversity Officer
Human Resources Representative (other than the Director of HR)
Research Policy Office Representative

Remit

The Appeals Panels (Section 7 of the Code of Practice) will be convened by an Emeritus Professor of the University in cases where an appeal is lodged regarding a final non-submission decision to REF. Appeals will be based only on procedural grounds, i.e. that the decision-making process, with respect to due consideration of special circumstances, has not been properly or fairly carried out. The Appeals Panel will make a recommendation to the Principal, who will make the final appeal decision. See the Code of Practice, Appeals, for further information. The appellant and his/her Head of School will be notified of the outcome of the appeal in writing.

No member of the Appeals Panel will have had any involvement with earlier REF submission decisions.

Where possible, all appeal decisions will have been made and communicated to the staff member by end of August 2013.

Membership

Convenor: Emeritus Professor of the University
Director of Human Resources
Member of the University Court