Celebrating all research outputs and roles

The Hidden REF Competition

The Hidden REF competition was launched in 2021. It is a community-driven, national event that raises awareness of NTOs and hidden roles, and provides a platform for understanding them. The first two competitions received 230 submissions from around 100 organisations.

You can review details on the submission categories, the submissions and review process and the panel composition and working methods that we used. You can also see the results from 2021 competition and 2024 competition.

We are now planning the 2026 competition and will announce the details here soon!

You can see a sneak peak of the timeline below:

Hidden REF Competition 2026

  • March – Call for category suggestions and changes
  • May – Final categories and submissions rules announced
  • May – Submissions open
  • September – Submissions deadline
  • November – Awards ceremony, results announced!