UCL Vice-Provost (Research) appointed Chair of REF Main Panel B

Professor David Price, UCL Vice-Provost (Research), has been appointed to chair one of the four main panels for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, through an open recruitment process. He will take up his role as Chair of Main Panel B (physical sciences, engineering and mathematics) later in the year, once the outcomes of the 'Consultation on the second Research Excellence Framework' are announced and further appointments to the REF panels have been made. Professor Price said: 'The REF plays a crucial role in driving the quality, vibrancy and sustainability of UK research. It is an honour to play a key role in ensuring that the assessment is rigorous, impartial, inclusive and transparent.' The chairs will provide leadership and guidance to the sub-panels that undertake the REF assessment, and advise the funding bodies - the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Scottish Funding Council, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland - on their initial decisions and on the further development of the framework. Professor Price served as Chair of Sub-Panel 7 in REF2014, as a Member of Sub-Panel 17 in its predecessor (RAE 2008) and as a member of the Advisory Group for the Stern Review of the REF. He chairs the HEFCE Forum on Responsible Research Metrics. In a Vice-Provost's View following UCL's submission to REF2014, he wrote: 'REF looks to reward very worthwhile things, such as publications with 'originality, significance and rigour', research environments with 'vitality and sustainability', and non-scholarly benefits of research with 'reach and significance'.' Dr Kim Hackett, REF Manager, said: 'I am delighted to welcome the REF Main Panel Chairs to the exercise.