Deadline extended for the hidden REF competition

Entrants to the hidden REF competition now have until May to enter their submissions. The extension comes in response to the ongoing UK lockdown and additional pressures on the academic community.

Professor Simon Hettrick, Deputy Director of the Software Sustainability, who is leading the initiative, hopes the extension will allow many more people to enter. “The current lockdown is adding a lot of pressure to people’s lives, and we don’t want to add more!” he said. “For this reason, we decided to move the hidden REF submission date from 26 February to 14 May 2021. This should allow people to be clear of the lockdown and the traditional Research Excellent Framework (REF) exercise so they can focus on the hidden REF and it’s vital role in raising recognition of all research outputs.”

The hidden REF competition celebrates all non-publication research outputs and acknowledges all those involved. To enter, entrants must be based in the UK and should submit a 300-word summary of the research output, which will be judged by a panel of experts from the research community.

Emerald, along with other stakeholders, is supporting the competition, but there is still time for others to get involved. They can support the initiative by entering the competition, raising awareness on social media or in their organisation, volunteering, or simply by sharing their experiences on this crucial issue.