Our mission

 We will achieve mainstream recognition for NTOs and hidden roles and this will make research more effective and more equitable.

Our relationship with the REF and the research sector

The Hidden REF is an independent, community-focused project working towards a more effective and equitable system of research assessment. We are funded by Research England, but have no direct role in developing REF policy.

We collect evidence, experiences and insights about research assessment that might otherwise remain invisible. Through our workshops, competitions, festivals and other activities, we bring together people from across the research community, with a particular emphasis on those working in vital roles that have not traditionally been recognised by the sector, and those producing outputs that have not traditionally been well represented within the REF.

We believe this community-led approach is essential if research assessment is to reflect the modern research environment. By improving what and who we recognise as contributing to excellent research, we will strengthen research and, ultimately, its contribution to society.

Our workshops and the Hidden REF competition provide a mechanism for testing new assessment ideas. They operate at a much higher cadence than the REF itself, allowing ideas to evolve quickly between assessment cycles and giving institutions and individuals space to explore how research assessment can be improved.

We support the principle of the REF and believe that assessing research excellence is an important part of the research community’s contract with the public who ultimately fund research. We conduct our work openly and share what we learn in the hope of helping the sector collectively develop a more effective and equitable system of research assessment.