RAE 2008
Outcomes
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) published the results of its Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 on 18th December 2008.
RAE 2008 produces quality ratings for every research activity (referred to as a Unit of Activity) submitted by a higher education institution to its assessment panels. Oxford's submission covered 50 out of the total 67 different RAE 2008 research activities.
The methods of rating have changed from the last RAE, which was in 2001. Ratings now go from 1* to 4* (not 1 to 5*), and rather than a department receiving a single rating, the distribution of research within any given department across all four ratings is expressed.
Further information on quality profiles from the RAE website
HEFCE will use the RAE 2008 quality profiles to inform the level of research funding ('QR') that it will allocate to each institution from 2009-10 onwards. Further information about this is not expected until March 2009.
Subject Overview Reports
For each of the RAE 2008 research activities, HEFCE has also made publicly available a subject overview report prepared by each of the 67 sub-panels, based on the evidence provided in submissions.
Subject Overview Reports (pdfs)
Subject overview reports and summary statistics from RAE website (zipped files)
Further information on RAE 2008
- Roles and responsibilities
- HEFCE RAE information
- Oxford Code of Practice
- Appeals process
- Data Protection Act and the RAE
Previous RAE results
Research Assessment Exercises have been held in the UK in 1986, 1989, 1992, 1996 and 2001.
Future research assessments
The RAE has been replaced by the Research Excellence Framework (REF). The results from the first REF will be published in 2014. Further information is available from the HEFCE website.