Guidance and blank template
Impact template (REF3a)
REF Impact template (Word, 191 KB)
Guidance on completing the impact template is available in Part 3, Section 3 of Guidance on Submission with addendum (PDF, 940 KB), and in Section 3 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-d) of the impact template.
The impact template is worth 20% of the unit's overall Impact score. It is used to describe the submitted unit’s approach during the assessment period (1 January 2008 to 31 July 2013) to supporting and enabling impact from research conducted within the unit and also provides a mechanism for the assessment to take account of particular circumstances of a unit that may have constrained its selection of case studies.
The Impact Template seeks the following information:
- Context
- Approach to impact
- Strategy and plans
- Relationship to case studies
- Impact Template (REF3a) general guidance (PDF, 241 KB)
- Panel A Impact Template (REF3a) guidance (PDF, 337 KB)
- Panel B Impact Template (REF3a) guidance (PDF, 339 KB)
- Panel C Impact Template (REF3a) guidance (PDF, 337 KB)
- Panel D Impact Template (REF3a) guidance (PDF, 290 KB)
Page limits
The maximum page limits for the impact template (REF3a) 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 impact template (REF3a) |
| 1 – 14.99 | 3 |
| 15 – 24.99 | 3 |
| 25 – 34.99 | 3 |
| 35 – 44.99 | 4 |
| 45 – 54.99 | 4 |
| 55 – 74.99 | 4 |
|
75 or more |
5, plus 1 further page per additional 60 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.