The purpose of the RRE is to provide schools with planning information based on aggregated output assessment profiles to support preparation of the University’s REF2029 output return.

The RRE is an annual exercise for all REF-eligible staff and consists of the peer review of outputs, providing grades for the quality of key individual research outputs published since 1 January 2021.

Colleagues are encouraged to keep their Pure profiles up to date throughout the year, but the RRE provides a focus for data collection.

The Pure RRE portal will open on 22 September 2025 and will close on 27 October 2025.

This year the exercise will concentrate exclusively on 4* outputs.  Eligible colleagues are asked to propose all outputs that they judge to be of 4* quality.

There is no cap on the number of outputs staff may submit for review. We are not expecting that everyone will have outputs to submit at this time. If this is the case, please complete the short Microsoft Form to demonstrate engagement with this RRE.

Please ensure that all the outputs you are proposing can be accessed through Pure. If not, you will need to supply a PDF version to FHumsRRE@manchester.ac.uk, or a hard copy to your local Research Support Office.

You do not need to re-request review of outputs previously nominated for RREs 2023/24 and 2024/25. These requests are held in Pure and all items not yet reviewed will be picked up for consideration.

All REF-eligible staff will receive an email from Colette Fagan on 22 September 2025 inviting them to nominate potential 4* outputs for review.

For RRE 2025/26, eligible staff are those who were in post on 31 July 2025 who are:

• On academic ‘teaching and research’ contracts.  

or

• On ‘research only’ contracts and meet the REF 2021 definition of an ‘independent researcher’, (i.e. an individual who undertakes self-directed research, rather than carrying out another individual's research programme).

The following staff are therefore not included in RRE:

• Staff with explicit teaching-focused or teaching and scholarship contracts.
• Research assistants and research associates who are not ‘independent researchers’ as defined by REF.
• New starters who joined the institution on or after 1 August 2025.