The proposal for the 2028 Research Excellence Framework to devote a quarter of the score to “People, Culture and Environment” (PCE) has generated much debate across the sector.
Concerns have focused on the lack of an agreed definition of “research culture”, how it is to be measured and assessed, and the relatively short time frame for implementing the new statement.
Many have also questioned whether the REF is the appropriate mechanism for recognising and rewarding culture – given its context-dependent nature, and the challenge of measuring and comparing across very different institutions. Indeed, one of the key concerns is that research culture could be undermined by introducing a dynamic of inter-institutional competition and potentially narrow, distorting metrics.
But are these fears proportionate to what’s being proposed? And does the proposal really present such a radical shift? The comments that follow are intended to reassure on both fronts – and provide a pragmatic way forward, which hopefully we can all swing behind.
