After delays, REF 2021 closes for submissions

Research exercise crosses the finish line following months of uncertainty and disruption from Covid-19

As of midday today, the Research Excellence Framework 2021 officially closed for submissions. After years of preparation, researchers and research managers can finally take a break—four months later than they were expecting to hang up their REF hats.

The start of the pandemic caused the UK’s four funding bodies to pause the exercise on 24 March last year, after it became clear universities needed to divert all their energies towards dealing with the fallout from Covid-19.