Interested in representing the neuroscience community for REF2021?

18th Mar 2020

The BNA has been asked to nominate individuals who can fill gaps in expertise for sub-panel 4, Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience for the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF, https://ref.ac.uk).

Could this be you?  Your input will help ensure that the neuroscience community - including individuals outside of academia who make use of research - is represented as well as possible.  

Both the REF team and the BNA are particularly keen to encourage nominations of individuals from underrepresented groups.  Better representation is the best way that REF can be conducted fairly. See links for the current composition of REF panels alongside contextual data about typical representation (gender, ethnicity, disability and age) in the sector. We encourage you to consider whether your membership of the panel will redress any imbalances in representation.

If you would like the BNA to nominate you, please consider the following information and apply using the process outlined below. 

UPDATE 26/06/2020: The application process for BNA nomination is 23:59 on 31st July 2020. This replaces the previous deadline, which was postponed due to disruption caused by COVID-19.

Information about what REF requires

Before submitting your nomination, please read information from REF found here.

REF is seeking Sub-panel members, Output Assessors and Impact Assessors for sub-panel 4.

Sub-panel members and Output Assessors are required to have neuroscience expertise in one or more of the following specific areas:

• cell biology
• computational neuroscience
• imaging
• electrophysiology

Impact Assessors: Applicants can have neuroscience research in any relevant context

See further information about expertise required for sub-panel 4 here.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please contact the BNA Trustee for Research Policy Professor Narender Ramnani: N.Ramnani@rhul.ac.uk. 

Application process 

If you are interested in being nominated by the BNA for one of these roles, please:

1. consider the desire of ourselves and REF for this process to be more representative of ethnicity, geography, gender – could you or someone you know help address this?
2. The expectation is that individuals applying for nomination by the BNA are BNA members. If you are not already a member, you can join straight away at www.bna.org.uk/register.
3. Complete the form at tinyurl.com/BNAREF2021.
4. Deadline to submit: 23:59 on 31st July 2020.

More information online: https://www.ref.ac.uk/news/nominations-invited-for-further-ref-panel-appointments. 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please contact the BNA Trustee for Research Policy Professor Narender Ramnani: N.Ramnani@rhul.ac.uk.