New research on the impact of the equality guidance on the RAE 2008

The Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice (a joint centre between the Business School and the Directorate of Human Resources) has recently carried out a major research project for HEFCE and the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) to investigate the impact of the equality and diversity requirements of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.

The project involved thirty two selected Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the UK and it examined the methods adopted to implement the equality guidance issued by ECU and the UK Funding Councils. This research also involved a series of interviews with senior academics and with chairs of RAE main panels and sub-panels to investigate the application of the equality guidance in the selection of staff for inclusion in the RAE 2008.

Dott.Simonetta Manfredi, Director of the Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice led the research team that also included Professor Lucy Vickers from the School of Social Sciences and Law. The findings from this study together with a series of recommendations to inform the development of the equality guidance for the future Research Excellence Framework (REF) have been presented in a report that has now been published by the Equality Challenge Unit.