In preparation for this year's Hidden REF Competition, we've been reaching out to past competition winners to chat about their experience. We've heard back from so many - and honestly, we're blushing 😊.

Hidden REF Competition 2026 - The Hidden REF

Hidden REF Competition 2026 The Hidden REF Competition celebrates all research outputs and everyone involved in their creation. The competition recognises a range of outputs that […]

hidden-ref.org

Headed to the beach for some holiday? Why not take a look at the categories for this year's competition before you go. It's like (pre-)beach reading but for people who love research culture! hidden-ref.org/hidden-ref-c...

Here at the Hidden REF it might seem like we're always talking about not-traditionally submitted outputs (NTOs). But what is an NTO and why do we care so much about how they're assessed? Our Hidden REF community manager Lyndsey Ballantyne explains. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X19...

🎙️ Episode 24 of What the REF?! What does it take to prepare for your first-ever REF submission? We speak to Alexandra Murphy and Ian Hutchinson from Arts University Plymouth about building a REF culture from scratch. www.youtube.com/watch?v=78uM...

The @ukrepro.bsky.social STAR report calls for open research approaches that recognise disciplinary diversity. This aligns strongly with work at Leeds, where we've developed 10 methodology-specific Open Research Checklists. We hope to share them soon! www.ukrn.org/2026/07/01/u...

Why you should you nominate a colleague or submit your research to the Hidden REF Competition? Jenni Adams, one of our winners from the 2024 competition, explains how the competition is a valuable way of recognising all of the work that doesn't get recognised elsewhere in the research ecosystem.

We will launch a short sector survey on 30 July 2026 to gather targeted feedback on a small number of policy areas for final development. Read more: 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/ref-202...

There may be more than 2 months to go until the competition closes, but why not get started early? Take a look at the submission categories and see where your research output best fits.

Hidden REF Competition 2026 - The Hidden REF

Hidden REF Competition 2026 The Hidden REF Competition celebrates all research outputs and everyone involved in their creation. The competition recognises a range of outputs that […]

hidden-ref.org

Submit your diverse output types (DOTs) to the @hiddenref.bsky.social Competition 2026 and showcase your wonderful research. Open to anyone affiliated with a UK research organisation - submissions close on 13 September 2026. Full details here: hidden-ref.org/hidden-ref-c... #diverseresearch

Behind almost every research study there's a collections specialist, a data manager, a technician or a bit of code that never makes the paper and never gets credited. The Hidden REF 2026 is open, and it recognises exactly those outputs and roles, the ones traditional assessment leaves out.

Hidden REF Competition 2026 - The Hidden REF

Hidden REF Competition 2026 The Hidden REF Competition celebrates all research outputs and everyone involved in their creation. The competition recognises a range of outputs that […]

hidden-ref.org

Behind almost every research study is a collections specialist, data manager, technician or bit of code that never makes the paper. The Hidden REF 2026 is open & recognises exactly those outputs & roles, the ones traditional assessment leaves out. hidden-ref.org/hidden-ref-c...

🎙️ New What the REF?! episode: our ARMA Conference debrief. We discuss REF 2029, broadening research outputs, the case for (and against) REF, plus workshop highlights and a little REF folklore. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdAi...

Ep 23. What the REF did we learn at ARMA?!

YouTube video by Hidden REF

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We are hosting drop-in sessions for people to ask questions about the Hidden REF Competition or anything else you’d like to know about, or discuss with, the Hidden REF! Join us today (Tuesday 23 June) from 11.00-12.00 to get all your questions answered! The link to join is on our website.

Community Calls - The Hidden REF

Community Calls The Hidden REF Community Calls are open, informal spaces for people across the research community to come together and talk about research culture – […]

hidden-ref.org

Do you want to find our more about the Hidden REF Competition? Have an idea for a submission but not exactly sure where it fits? Join us for a drop in session next week on Tuesday 23 June from 11.00-12.00 to get all your questions answered! The link to join is on our website.

Community Calls - The Hidden REF

Community Calls The Hidden REF Community Calls are open, informal spaces for people across the research community to come together and talk about research culture – […]

hidden-ref.org

🎙️ Episode 22 of What the REF?! we meet with former Research England Director Steven Hill to discuss the past, present and future of UK research assessment www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeLS...

Ep 22. In conversation with Steven Hill

YouTube video by Hidden REF

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New category just dropped. This year's Hidden REF Competition now welcomes submissions for 'Environmental Sustainability Research'. Check out the details and learn what you need to do to submit: hidden-ref.org/details-of-s...

Details of submission categories - The Hidden REF

Submissions to the Hidden REF 2026 competition will be made in the following categories. Hidden Role Title Hidden Role Category no. 1 Description A number of […]

hidden-ref.org

The Hidden REF Competition is now live! The competition is your opportunity to highlight your hidden contributions to research. All the information you need to put together your submission can be found at: hidden-ref.org/hidden-ref-c... 🗓️ The deadline for submissions is 13 September

Hidden REF Competition 2026 - The Hidden REF

Celebrating all research outputs and everyone involved in their creation The Hidden REF Competition The Hidden REF Competition celebrates all research outputs and everyone involved in […]

hidden-ref.org

🎧 Special episode alert! In this special episode of What the REF, the team officially launches the 2026 Hidden REF Competition and explores how it has evolved from a one-off initiative into a wider movement for research culture change.

Ep 21. What the REF?! It's the 2026 Hidden REF Competition!

YouTube video by Hidden REF

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1 year 7 guests 20 episodes 2,341+ listens 6,084+ views 🎙️What the REF podcast - if you're not involved, you're missing out hidden-ref.org/what-the-ref/

What the REF - The Hidden REF

What the  REF?! A new podcast to demystify the REF What the REF?! is a new podcast that will investigate issues around research culture, recognition for […]

hidden-ref.org

The Hidden REF Competition launches in just 5 days! Check out how you can get involved: hidden-ref.org/hidden-ref-c... There are 5 panels responsible for assessing Hidden REF Submissions - you can see the previous winners for each panel on the Hidden REF website.

📢 Community call tomorrow - Tuesday 19th May 11:00-12:00 GMT There is still time to register and join us at tomorrows (online) community call! Find out more and register here: hidden-ref.org/resources/co...

Also in opinion, the Hidden REF team say it is moving from demonstration to application... www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

The Hidden REF is moving from demonstration to application - Research Professional News

Next step is guiding universities on assessing non-traditional outputs, say Lyndsey Ballantyne and Michael Donnay

researchprofessionalnews.com

🎙️ Our latest episode (20) of What the REF?! features Gemma, Simon and Lyndsey exploring the evolving landscape of research assessment, from research culture and AI to the growing role of not-traditionally submitted outputs in REF submissions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujuW...

Ep 20. What the REF can be measured?!

YouTube video by Hidden REF

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In our latest piece for @resprofnews.bsky.social, Lyndsey and Michael lay out how the Hidden REF is helping give universities confidence in submitting NTOs by providing actionable frameworks for assessing them. Want to help shape that guidance? Join our expert groups: hidden-ref.org/expert-groups/

13 days until the Hidden REF Competition opens for submissions! Check out how you can get involved: hidden-ref.org/hidden-ref-c... There have been 13 past winners across the last two competitions - will you join that list this year?

Got expertise in not-traditionally submitted outputs (NTOs)? We’re looking for people to join Hidden REF Expert Groups! These groups will help shape guidance on assessing different types of NTOs - from software & exhibitions to patents, compositions & more. Let’s build confidence in NTOs together!

Expert Groups - The Hidden REF

Hidden REF needs your expertise! Expert groups increase confidence in NTOs Most submissions to the REF are journal articles and books, but there are many more […]

hidden-ref.org

The tide is turning for research technical professionals (RTPs) :) Great article in Nature worth a quick read! www.nature.com/articles/d41... @livuni-livsrf.bsky.social @hiddenref.bsky.social‬ @bioimaginguk.bsky.social @royalmicrosoc.bsky.social

How hidden contributions power modern research

The people who work behind the scenes to keep research moving say that there should be more recognition for their roles.

nature.com

26 days until the Hidden REF Competition kicks off! 🎉 Check out how you can get involved: hidden-ref.org/hidden-ref-c... The last competition saw 26 submissions in the Hidden Role category - will there be more this year?

One week left to submit your suggestions for new or updated Hidden REF Competition categories. This early consultation phase is an important part of our mission, making sure the competition reflects what really matters across the research community. Find out more and share your ideas:

Hidden REF Competition 2026 - The Hidden REF

Celebrating all research outputs and roles The Hidden REF Competition The Hidden REF competition was launched in 2021. It is a community-driven, national event that raises awareness […]

hidden-ref.org

What the REF is happening with books?! We joined the @hiddenref.bsky.social team earlier this month to unpack the challenges of 🔓️ defining openness 💰️ funding models beyond BPCs 🪢 the tension between flexibility and REF policy! Listen to Ep 18. now! 🎧️

Ep 18. What the REF is happening with books?!

This week on What the Ref, the team heads to Plymouth for a lively workshop on non-traditional outputs before diving into a fascinating interview with Gareth Cole on the future of open access books.…

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