Environment template (REF5)

Research Excellence Framework (REF)

The environment element of the REF will count for 15% of the overall quality rating and will be assessed in terms of a unit of assessment's 'vitality and sustainability', including its contribution to the vitality and sustainability of the wider discipline or research base.

Guidance on completing the template is available in Part 3, Section 5 of Guidance on Submission with addendum (PDF, 940 KB), and in Section 4 of each of the main panel criteria statements (Part 2 of the Panel Criteria and Working Methods (PDF, 505 KB)). Each of the main panel criteria statements set out the information requested under each heading (a-e) of the environment template.

It is used to describe the submitted unit’s research environment during the assessment period (1 January 2008 to 31 July 2013).

The Environment Template seeks the following information:

     a: Overview
     b: Research strategy
     c: People, including
             (i) staffing strategy and staff development
             (ii) research students
     d: Income, infrastructure and facilities:
     e: Collaboration and contribution to the discipline

Panel A Environment Template (REF5) guidance (PDF, 51 KB)
Panel B Environment Template (REF5) guidance (PDF, 58 KB)
Panel C Environment Template (REF5) guidance (PDF, 53 KB)
Panel D Environment Template (REF5) guidance (PDF, 52 KB)

Criteria and definitions of starred levels

The research environment will be assessed in terms of its ‘vitality and sustainability’. Panels will consider both the ‘vitality and sustainability’ of the submitted unit, and its contribution to the ‘vitality and sustainability’ of the wider research base.

The criteria for assessing the environment quality is based on starred ratings of 1*-4* and unclassified.
The interpretation of the generic quality, as defined in Annex A of the Guidance on Submission with addendum (PDF, 940 KB) , can be found in each Panel's Section B4 in the Panel Criteria and Working Methods (PDF, 505 KB) .

Page limits

The maximum page limits for the environment template (REF5) will depend on the total FTE Category A staff included in the submission, according to the table below.

Number of Category A staff in the submission (FTE)	Page limit for environment template (REF5)
1 – 14.99	7
15 – 24.99	8
25 – 34.99	9
35 – 44.99	10
45 – 54.99	11
55 – 74.99	12
75 or more	13, plus 1 further page per additional 20 FTE

Format

Completed templates must adhere to the following:

Arial font, 11 point (minimum)
single line spacing (minimum)
2 cm margins (minimum)

Completed templates may include formatting (bold or underlined text, headings, lists, and so on), tables and non-text content, so long as the guidance on maximum page limits and on minimum font size, line spacing and margin widths are adhered to.