News Archive

REF Circumstances: deadline for applications extended

The REF Planning Group has extended the deadline for declaration of personal circumstances for REF 2021. If you wish to declare any personal circumstances, you can now do so up to the new deadline of 8 November 2019.  

It is in the individual and the University’s interest that circumstances are declared and recognised. 

Declarations enable recognition of:

• the impact that challenges such as extended sick leave, caring responsibilities or bereavement may have had on individual colleagues’ ability to research productively during the REF assessment period, whether they were at work or absent  
• the cumulative effect that personal circumstances have had on the research productivity of a unit or department. 

Personal circumstances allowed by the REF 2021 can only be taken into consideration if declared. They include: 

• Being an Early Career Researcher, defined as eligible members of staff who started their careers as independent researchers on or after 1 August 2016 (so have had a shorter period of eligibility) 
• Qualifying periods of family-related leave (e.g. maternity, parental leave, adoption, bereavement) 
• Constraints relating to family leave that fall outside of the standard allowances 
• Caring responsibilities 
• Ill health (including mental health) or injury 
• Disability 
• Gender reassignment  
• Other circumstances related to protected characteristics or activities protected by employment legislation 
• Secondments/career breaks outside of the HE sector. 

Declaration of personal circumstances is confidential and voluntary. Colleagues wishing to declare their circumstances can do so through the Personal Circumstances Form

You can also view our FAQs.

If you have any questions regarding personal circumstances, please contact us in confidence: REFcircumstances@reading.ac.uk.