SES REF 2029 Panel Member announcements
Science Engineering South universities play a leading role across all four Main Panels and 34 Sub-panels of REF 2029, with representation that stretches from medicine and engineering to computer science, social sciences, and arts and humanities.
About the REF 2029 Panels
The panel members for the criteria-setting phase of REF 2029 have been announced. This diverse group of experts will oversee the assessment of UK research across all 34 Units of Assessment (UoAs). Panel members will play a central role in shaping REF – ensuring robust, trusted evaluations that support the higher education sector, and highlights the strength and excellence of UK research.
REF is structured around four Main Panels and 34 Sub-panels. The Main Panels set the overall criteria and methods for assessment in their discipline, ensure consistency across sub-panels, and approve final outcomes. They include sub-panel chairs as well as members with interdisciplinary, international, and applied research expertise.
Sub-panels cover specific subject areas (Units of Assessment). They develop discipline-specific criteria and carry out detailed assessments, drawing on collective expertise across their research communities.
SES Strength Across All Panels
Reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of our SES member universities, representation can be seen across REF Main and Sub-panels in both leadership and member roles. This demonstrates the research strengths of our SES members across the board.
Main Panel A: Medicine, Health & Life Sciences, is a particular area of strength, with SES universities represented in both leadership positions and as members across clinical medicine, psychology, neuroscience, biological sciences, and agriculture, veterinary and food sciences.
Main Panel B: Physical Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science is also an area where SES universities are strongly represented, with contributions in engineering, chemistry, and computer science and informatics.
Main Panel C: Social Sciences includes a wide range of contributions from SES universities across education, geography, sociology, demography, and related fields.
Main Panel D: Arts and Humanities also benefit from SES university expertise, with representation in areas such as English literature, languages, history, and philosophy.
This broad representation across all panels affirms the depth and breadth of research excellence within SES universities.
Find Out More
For more information and related stories:
Oxford – Department represented on REF 2029 panels
UCL Academics Appointed to REF 2029
King’s shines through with REF 2029 panel appointments
Southampton – Professor Diana Eccles appointed as Deputy Chair for REF 2029 sub-panel