Stern and REF: assessing the past to fund the future with non-portability | Synapse
October 2, 2025Open Access
Stern and REF: assessing the past to fund the future with non-portability
Key Points
The proposed non-portability may alter how funding is allocated to researchers, affecting their relationship with funding agencies.
Research outputs under non-portability could limit the accessibility and utilization of findings across different institutions.
Examining the Stern review highlights the need for a balanced funding environment that supports diverse research outputs.
The shift to non-portability may encourage researchers to focus on collaborative projects rather than individual achievements.
Abstract
Something that occurred to me about the Stern review of REF and the proposed non-portability of research outputs is how this changes the relationship of funding to researchers vs. funding an environment.