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  • Exploring Engagement
    • Introducing Public Engagement
    • Quality Practice
    • Evaluation
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    • Policy and Funding
  • Our services
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Three people working through activities on the REF101

REF 2029

updated on 28 Aug 2026
4 minutes
Copied to clipboard

Prepare for REF 2029 with expert support from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement.

Whether you're building institutional strategy, supporting impact development, or helping colleagues navigate REF changes, our workshops and consultancy services will help you strengthen the connected story of research excellence.

Speak to us about your REF support needs
on this page
  1. Support for REF 2029
  2. Free REF 101 Webinar
  3. Training Opportunities
  4. Not sure where to start?

Support for REF 2029

REF 2029 places greater emphasis on how excellent research is enabled, connected and translated into public value. Success depends on more than producing high-quality research. Institutions will need compelling narratives about research contribution, engagement, impact, people, culture and environment.

At the NCCPE, we've spent more than fifteen years supporting universities to understand, evidence and strengthen public engagement and impact. Our REF support services are designed to help institutions, research leaders and support professionals prepare confidently for REF 2029.

Free REF 101 Webinar

An intro level online workshop to help you understand the REF.

REF 101: Understanding the Connected Story of Research Excellence

Free online webinar

REF 2029 marks an important shift in how research excellence is recognised and assessed. This session explores how Contribution to Knowledge and Understanding (CKU), Engagement & Impact (E&I), and Strategy, People and Research Environment (SPRE) work together within the new framework.

Who should attend?

  • Academics and researchers
  • Research leaders
  • REF managers and coordinators
  • Professional services colleagues supporting research, engagement, impact or knowledge exchange

You'll gain

  • An understanding of the major changes in REF 2029
  • Insight into how the three profiles connect
  • Confidence in discussing REF 2029 within your institution
  • Awareness of opportunities and challenges for preparation

Format

  • 1-hour online webinar
  • Presentations, discussion and questions
  • Access to further NCCPE resources and support

Book onto an upcoming workshop

  • Tuesday 27 October 2026 13.30-14.30 register here
  • Tuesday 26 January 2027 11.30-12.30 register here
  • Tuesday 27 April 202711.30-12.30 register here

Training Opportunities

We have three training and development support packages for the REF2029 submission process:

Engagement & Impact: Making Sense of How Research Creates Public Value 

  • A direct to academics and researcher session.

Engagement & Impact Train the Trainer

  • A session designed to train staff in your university to deliver the NCCPE Engagement and Impact training session and associated resources to academics and researchers within their institution.

SPRE Narrative Development

  • A series of 2 strategic workshops for leaders of research and research culture.

Engagement & Impact: Making Sense of How Research Creates Public Value

For academics and researchers

This interactive workshop helps researchers develop clearer and more credible engagement and impact narratives. Using NCCPE's practical framework, participants explore how research contribution, engagement, change and evidence fit together to create a compelling impact story.

Who should attend?

Academics and researchers
Early Career Researchers
Researchers developing engagement and impact activities
Colleagues contributing to REF impact case studies

You'll gain

  • A stronger understanding of how research creates public value
  • Greater confidence in developing impact narratives
  • Practical approaches to evidencing impact
  • Structured notes and ideas to support further drafting

Format

  • 3-hour online workshop
  • Interactive exercises and discussion
  • Bring your own ideas, projects or draft materials

Cost: £150 per person (payments via invoice are subject to administration fees)

Available Dates:

  • Tuesday 24 November 2026 9.30-13.30
  • Thursday 25 February 2027 13.30-4.30
  • Tuesday 11 May 2027 9.30-13.30

Bookings open October 2026, contact us if you would like to be alerted when bookings open.

Download the Course Outline.

Engagement & Impact Train the Trainer

For research support and impact professionals

Build internal capability to support researchers developing engagement and impact narratives.

This workshop equips participants with NCCPE's Engagement & Impact framework and practical resources that can be embedded within institutional REF and impact support provision.

Who should attend?

  • Impact professionals
  • Public engagement professionals
  • Research development staff
  • Knowledge exchange professionals
  • REF managers and coordinators

You'll gain

  • A deeper understanding of engagement and impact
  • Confidence facilitating discussions and workshops
  • Practical tools and resources for institutional use
  • Strategies for supporting researchers preparing impact case studies
  • Access to an Engagement and Impact Training Community of Practice

Format

  • 3-hour online workshop
  • Cross-institutional cohort model
  • Trainer toolkit provided following the session

Cost 

£1,250 per institution, up to 7 people from your institution can attend the session, each session will have up to 5 institutions in attendance.

Available Dates:

  • Thursday 19 November 2026 12.30-3.30
  • Thursday 11 February 2027 13.30-4.30
  • Wednesday 5 May 2027 9.30-13.30

Bookings open October 2026, contact us if you would like to be alerted when bookings open.

Download the Course Outline.

SPRE Narrative Development

For institutional REF teams

Develop a coherent and credible Strategy, People and Research Environment narrative.

Two 2 hour facilitated online workshops help institutions identify priorities, surface evidence, demonstrate learning since REF 2021 and craft a clear narrative that connects strategy, culture, engagement and impact.

Best suited for

  • REF steering groups
  • Senior research leaders
  • Research strategy teams
  • Research culture leads
  • Professional services colleagues involved in REF preparation

You'll gain

  • A shared institutional narrative 
  • Clear priorities for drafting
  • Greater confidence in assessment expectations
  • Alignment between institutional and unit-level narratives
  • Access to a SPRE Community of Practice for Research Culture Leaders

Format

  • Bespoke facilitated workshops
  • Typically delivered as two structured 2 hour sessions
  • Reflection and development time between workshops

Get in touch to discuss your requirements and availability.

Download the Course Outline.

NCCPE Co-Director Paul Manners presenting about the REF at the Engage Summit 2026

Not sure where to start?

If you're beginning your REF 2029 preparations, we recommend joining a REF 101 webinar first. Our team can then help you identify the most appropriate support for your institution, researchers or professional services colleagues.

Contact the NCCPE Team

Contact us

REF Resources

Explore more REF related resources from the NCCPE.
Briefings
policy and funding context

REF 2029: what’s the story for public engagement?

A briefing to outline the REF 2029 developments as of January 2026, and the opportunities for public engagement.
Collections
policy and funding context

REF Collection

This collection gathers together the NCCPE’s work to support the Research Excellence Framework (REF) since it was first proposed in 2008 as the successor the Research Assessment Exercise. It starts [...]
Briefings
culture change, policy and funding context ...

REF2029: Three shifts higher education institutions need to grasp about REF2029

Higher education is understandably risk-averse when it comes to the REF. Institutions invest heavily in approaches that have worked before, and there is a strong incentive to default to familiar [...]

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