Dear All
An article from Political Studies Women and Politics Group raises a concern on the REF criteria that could affect the careers of many women academics. Article link below.
To quote in part "Deep within these new proposals are a couple of paragraphs that will have an impact on the perceived quality of many women academics’ research.... "In practice under either mechanism many women with three excellent items who have had leave will either be left out of the REF and or they will be entered with a fourth weaker item; in both cases their research will be judged as second rate"."This discriminates against women".
In effect the concern raised is that for those who take 14 months of maternity leave, being required to produce 4 pieces of first rate research, is in effect treating them as if they have had no leave.