On 7 March, the Society hosted an information event for those considering an application to join the History sub-panel for REF2029. 

We are very grateful to our guest speakers—Professors Margot Finn, Claire Langhamer and Jonathan Morris—who each served on the REF2021 History sub-panel, of which Margot was deputy chair. In addition to his experience on the 2021 sub-panel, Jonathan is currently co-chair of the History ‘People, Culture and Environment’ Pilot Panel for REF2029. 

The comments of our contributors are reflected in the following guidance to colleagues who are considering an application for the forthcoming History sub-panel. These assessments are supplemented with advice from a fourth contributor, Professor Greg Walker—Chair of Main Panel D (Arts and Humanities, in which History sits)—who was unable to join us on 7 March, but generously provided written responses to questions raised by attendees.

The Society’s event was prompted by a change in the recruitment process for REF panel membership—from the previous model of recommendation and approach to one of self-nomination, open to all. 

The work of disciplinary sub-panels (including that for History) is fundamental to the Research Excellence Framework. Subject panels form the heart of REF, responsible for assessing and grading scholarly outputs, impact and research cultures across the UK HE sector. 

The move to self-nomination for REF2029 is therefore very significant. It needs to be carried out effectively to ensure the final sub-panel (for us, in History) has the breadth and depth of expertise to assess our discipline in its complexity and diversity, and with the time, attention and quality it deserves.

It also requires historians currently considering an application for panel membership to have a clear and complete understanding of the role to ensure they’re fully aware of its significance, expectations and demands as well as rewards.

The Society’s event on 7 March brought together members of previous REF History panels and those interested in becoming a panellist for REF2029. The discussion raised a number of key points that we address for a wider audience below. 

Our event also made clear the importance of sharing information with potential applicants to provide a rounded picture (negative as well as positive) of the History sub-panel and panel membership: its purpose and phases of work; the skills and mindset required of members; the breadth of subjects to which members are introduced; and the very considerable time commitment expected of panellists. 

Our event further confirmed the Society’s concern—first set out last month—that Research England’s new approach to recruitment currently cannot guarantee us the final sub-panel composition our discipline requires. Nor does it appreciate the sense of crisis, reduced opportunity and growing inequality, within humanities in UK higher education, that will prevent many aspirant panellists from proceeding with an application.

The remainder of this post highlights three key areas considered at the Society’s information event: 

• REF’s new approach to sub-panel recruitment, and the qualities of an effective final sub-panel
• Panellists’ roles, responsibilities and workloads
• Preparing an application, and working in advance with your institution 

 

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1. REF’s new approach to panel recruitment, and the qualities of an effective final panel

 

What is the change and why is it happening?

 

• REF2029 differs in many ways from previous assessment exercises, including that reporting in 2022. One difference is the introduction of an enhanced ‘People Culture and Environment’ (PCE) element which places greater emphasis on Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI). EDI is thus a key consideration for the steering group in other elements of REF2029, including the recruitment process and membership of the 34 subject panels, of which History is one (Unit of Assessment, no. 28).

 

• In previous REF cycles, panellists were identified and recommended for membership by learned societies and subject specialist associations. This included the Royal Historical Society for selections to the History subject panel. This work involved the ‘building up’ a prospective panel with reference to its core requirements. This included identification of members to provide a wide range of subject and sub-disciplinary expertise and methodological specialism; those able to read work in ancient and modern languages; representation of historians in universities across the UK and the English regions; and those employed in a range of institutions.

 

• For REF2029 the selection process is changing, with prospective panellists invited to nominate themselves for consideration. In making this change, the REF steering group highlights its bid for greater diversity of panel members for REF2029: ‘We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply … We are keen to hear from individuals with varied expertise who can bring unique perspectives to the panels.’

 

What will this change mean for the creation of the History (and other) panels?

 

• At this stage the implications of this change are unclear. While efforts to foster greater diversity of panel membership are welcome, this is an untested approach that’s expected to give rise to a sub-panel with sufficient breadth of experience and research specialism to assess the scale and scope of History submissions

 

• Such outcomes are not incompatible with a move to self nomination. However, use of an open call to establish a panel capable of undertaking its role, and of meeting existing forms of representation (for example, historians from the devolved nations), remains an enormous challenge of which potential applicants, and historians more widely, should be aware.

 

• Currently, the method for selecting sub-panels is unclear and has not been addressed publicly by the REF steering group. The numbers applying for History panel membership are expected to be  high, and our understanding is that applications will be considered by the Chair and Deputy Chair of each sub-panel. Given the anticipated volume of applications, it seems unlikely this will be a sustainable approach. 

 

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2. Panellists’ expected roles, responsibilities and workloads

 

What will the History panel do?

 

• The History panel will be responsible for assessing, grading and reporting on the three core sections of REF2029: ‘Contribution to knowledge and understanding’ (50% weighting), ‘People, Culture and Environment’ (25%), and ‘Engagement and impact’ (25%).

 

• The sub-panel will operate between Summer 2025 and Spring 2030 with its work falling in several key phases. The first of these (currently expected to run to June 2026) will set the criteria for assessment specific to History. The second phase (expected to run from late 2028 to Spring 2030) will be the assessment stage and the most intense period of work for the panel. Individual members will assess and grade submissions (‘outputs’) relevant to their area of research specialism as allocated by the Chair and their deputy.

 

• Individual work will be collated and written up during the assessment phase, leading to the creation of a final report by March 2030. The History report for REF2021 is available here (pp. 99-112) and provides details of the extent of submissions on that occasion: c.4400 outputs (principally monographs, journal articles, book chapters and edited collections); 248 impact case studies, and 81 environment statements. These were read by the 21 members of the 2021 History, details of which are available here.

 

What are the expected responsibilities of individual panel members?

 

• Panellists will be expected to work singly, in small groups, and as members of the full sub-panel at different points in the cycle. The broad phases of REF2029 will determine the nature of this work, with greater levels of full group working required during the initial criteria and calibration setting, and more individual and small group activity during the assessment phase.

 

• Given the volume of submissions, being a sub-panel member means a very considerable and sustained level of focused reading. In addition to monographs, articles, chapters and edited collections—which form the bulk of submissions—panellists will also be expected to read and evaluate alternative outputs such as reports, websites, exhibitions and scholarly editions. Panellists will be required to read each output with care and in detail to identify excellence independent of the existence (or otherwise) of external markers of distinction. Close reading of this kind will require focus and dedicated time which, in turn, means assurances of adequate support for panellists from their universities.

 

• While making clear the very considerable demands on panellists (further discussed below), speakers at our event also emphasised the pleasures, enjoyment and collegiality of membership. Sub-panel members have a unique opportunity to read deeply and extensively in their broad field, and to encounter new work and approaches to historical research in UK higher education. Our contributors spoke of having gained a richer appreciation of the discipline in the round and of learning new approaches to research and engagement by studying the practice of colleagues,

 

What are the expected attributes and qualities required of the REF2029 History panel?

 

• An effective History panel will need to reflect the subject and methodological breadth of our discipline as a whole. Most obviously, this means sub-panel members with a combined expertise able to cover all chronologies and geographies. It also requires disciplinary specialisms (in, for example, economic history and histories of science and medicine), in methodologies and approaches (e.g. quantitative methods or digital history), and proficiency in ancient and modern languages. 

 

• Panellists will be presented with submissions that take a very wide variety of formats and research practice. It’s therefore important that sub-panel members are ready to engage with unfamiliar fields and practices, and to assess the variety of submissions openly and consistently. Previous History panels have been characterised by their reward of high-quality research regardless of format, publisher or university, with a shared commitment to rewarding excellence wherever this is found.

 

How is the panel expected to conduct its meetings?

 

• It is expected that the History panel will meet both online and in-person, with a hybrid option for those unable to attend in person. At this stage the balance between these formats remains unknown. It is the expectation of Greg Walker, Chair of Main Panel D, that early meetings in each phase will be in-person to maximise the potential for team-building.

 

• The duration of meetings will vary but in-person sessions—for example, for criteria setting or establishing calibration models—are expected to run for two or three days at a time, on set dates and with required attendance.

 

What is the expected workload for members of the REF2029 History panel?

 

• All speakers at our March event stressed the very heavy workload of members of the History subject panel: ‘ferocious’ was one description of the intensity and scale of this for REF2021.

 

• The demands placed on panellists for REF2029 will be especially intense during the assessment year from late 2028 to the end of 2029, and to Spring 2030 for final report writing. All our contributors agreed that the workload of sub-panel members is incompatible with maintaining full-time teaching, research and administrative commitments at a UK university. Sub-panel members unable to gain sufficient relief from their home institutions, or who expect to fulfil research project commitments in 2028-29, were advised not to consider sub-panel membership at this stage.

 

• Current REF guidelines state that a time commitment of ‘approximately 40 to 60 days’ will be needed per person ‘over the course of the exercise’, with one third (i.e. c.20 days) dedicated to the first criteria-setting phase and two thirds (i.e. c.40 days) for the assessment phase. This recommendation is not one recognised by the Society based on the experience of former panel members, and the expected volume of submissions and attention given to each in REF2029. We urge Research England, and higher education institutions, to recognise the time commitment demanded of panelists will be considerably higher.

 

• At the Society’s event questions were raised about applications from those working part-time or who are in caring roles. Currently, we have no clear guidance from the REF steering group on this.

 

• The advice from Professor Greg Walker is an expectation that: ‘efforts will be made to make meetings family- and carer-friendly, but in practice I suspect it will be difficult to do that wholly satisfactorily. The timetable for assessment in 2029 will be very demanding, and there won’t, if things are similar to previous  exercises, be much scope to lighten the load for some members without increasing it for others. Would-be applicants should think carefully about their capacity to take on the role, and certainly try to get some relief from normal duties from their home institutions as a matter of urgency.’

 

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3. Preparing an application, and working in advance with your institution 

 

What form does the application process take?

 

• Applications for membership of the History panel close at noon on 28 April 2025. Further information on making an application is available from REF with links to the application form. The form combines multiple choice options with five open text boxes for brief comment (c.250-300 words each) on an applicant’s:

 

• • sub-disciplinary expertise
  • knowledge and understanding relevant to the role (e.g. experience of the subject and/or UK higher education)
  • experience relevant to the role (e.g. as a peer reviewer or grant assessor)
  • skills relevant to the role (e.g. capacity for fair and critical assessment)
  • motivations (e.g. commitment to the aims of REF2029)

 

What are the skills and experience most compatible with History panel membership?

 

• Our information event also considered elements likely to score well with those selecting sub-panel members. Applicants were encouraged to offer tangible examples of experience in those areas that are most relevant to being a History panel member. These include (in addition to subject expertise) experience of: editing an academic journal or book series; peer review across a wide range of subjects; grant evaluation; report writing; the structures of UK HE; and collaborative group working. Roles such as journal editorships, Directors of Graduate Studies or Heads of Department were identified as best aligned with the requirements of sub-panel membership.

 

• Sub-panel members will receive training in their role and former panellists highlighted the skills, such as in assessment and calibration, that membership brings for one’s own career development.

 

• It was a firm recommendation that prospective members of the REF2029 History panel should speak as soon as possible to their home institutions. Indeed, this is a requirement of the REF steering group with applicants expected to have gained ‘the support of employing organisation for their appointment’.

 

• Given the extent and duration of the workload, support should include exemptions or buyouts from current workloads from employers. Those considering an application should be speaking to their institutions now so as to gain assurances before submitting an application. We sincerely hope institutions will, in  turn, appreciate—for history and other disciplines—the importance, responsibilities and workload of REF subject panels and be accommodating, supportive and pragmatic to those considering membership. This is essential if REF2029’s aims of greater diversity of membership, particularly with reference to institution, are to be realised.

 

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Further resources and information

 

The following external resources and guides are also recommended for those considering applying to join the REF2029 History Panel:

 

• Research England guidelines for applying for panel membership (closing date 28 April) 
• Recording of the REF-hosted event on panel membership (3 March 2025, all subject areas)
• Blog: ‘Want to join us in developing and delivering REF 2029? Here’s what you need to know’, by Rebecca Fairbairn, Director of REF
• Main Panel D overview report for REF2021 (History is pp.99-112, Unit of Assessment 28)
• Details of the History sub-panel members for REF2021

 

In addition, the Royal Historical Society maintains a section of its website dedicated to developments in REF2029 for historians. This will be extended as the current REF cycle continues.

 

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