What the REF?!
Episodes
What the REF is the Hidden REF Competition?!
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Discover the story behind the Hidden REF Competition in this special episode of What the REF. James and Lindsay explain how the initiative celebrates ...
What the REF do we do without Rebecca?!
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Research culture, open access battles, and major REF leadership news — this episode of What the REF?! unpacks the forces reshaping UK academia. The ...
What the REF happened on our community call?!
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of What the Ref mixes REF chat with community energy as James returns, Researchfish’s impending closure sparks lively debate, and the t...
What the REF is needed to assess research outputs fairly?!
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A new year of ‘REF-iness’ kicks off as the What the REF team unpack the fallout from December’s REF changes and look ahead to what 2026 holds. W...
What the REF do HR have to do with the REF?!
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on What the REF?!, Ola and James start to unpack the long-awaited REF announcement from December, sharing first reactions and a palpable sen...
Breaking News! The Pause is Over! What the REF is happening now?!
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Simon and Ola are live at the 2025 Research & Innovation Conference, hearing Professor Dame Jessica Corner outline how REF2029 is moving forward -...
What the REF do we want for Christmas?!
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Find out more about the HiddenREF campaign at Hidden-REF.org'What the REF' is made possible by the Embedding Trust in Evaluation (E-TIE) research...
What the REF do people want to know?!
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Find out more about the HiddenREF campaign at Hidden-REF.org'What the REF' is made possible by the Embedding Trust in Evaluation (E-TIE) research...
A Festival and a White Paper: What the REF happens next?!
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of What the REF?!, James, Gemma, and Simon reflect on an extraordinary few days at the Hidden REF Festival and explore what the new Po...
What the REF is Ola up to?!
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to What the REF?!, the only podcast where academics make bureaucracy sound almost fun. Simon, James, and Gemma welcome new team member Dr...
What the REF is wrong with “culture”?
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on What the Ref, the gang (Gemma, James, and Simon) score a big guest: Lizzie Gadd, one of the UK’s most respected voices in research asse...
What the REF does a pause mean?!
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, James, Gemma, and Simon dive headfirst into the post-summer politics, but start with Simon’s keynote at the Research Software Engineering...
What the REF are we doing with NTOs?!
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this jam-packed episode of What the Ref?!, we look into the latest updates on the REF, including the portability debate, and the ever-evolving worl...
What the REF is happening with the CKU?
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s out! The CKU guidance is out! And it’s the focus of this episode.We start with an update on our events, mainly focussing on their popularity....
What the REF are our research incentives?
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we kick off with a few updates and then hear about the incredible agenda planned for the Festival of Hidden REF (7-8 October in Birmi...
What the REF should we call these outputs?
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we focus on the struggle of what to call the outputs that aren't journal or book publications. We update on an article from Dame Jess...
Welcome to What the REF!
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first ever episode of What the REF?! Our attempt at demystifying everyone's favourite national research assessment exercise.In this epi...