[Academic] Individual Staff Circumstances and REF - update

[John Jeffers]

Dear All,

I'm afraid you all have to complete a form on sharepoint. Please go to 
the link below, and fill out as appropriate. Unfortunately you have to 
do this whether or not you have any circumstances which might result in 
a reduction in outputs. Don't ask me why they didn't design it differently.

John
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Email for all REF eligible staff:

The REF team with assistance from IT services have set up a confidential 
collection system in SharePoint for details of Individual Staff 
Circumstances related to the REF period between 1^st January 2008 and 
31^st October 2013. All staff who are eligible for REF selection are 
requested to complete a declaration form as soon as possible, detailing 
any circumstances which have involved *significant periods* ‘away from 
research activity’ or ‘unable to carry out research’ in the REF period. 
Staff who have no such circumstances are also requested to make a 
declaration to this effect.

The process for all ‘REF eligible’ staff is as follows

   1. Access the online declaration form
      https://moss.strath.ac.uk/research/resportal/ref/circumstances/default.aspx
   2. Select from three options *– None, Clearly Defined or Complex*
      circumstances. There are detailed definitions of these terms in
      the site, and all staff concerned should read the information
      carefully before making a declaration
   3. Information provided in the declaration form can be edited, or a
      new declaration made, up to the close of the collection process on
      30th June 2013
   4. REF eligible staff have the opportunity, but are not obliged, to
      declare circumstances which they do not wish to be known; in this
      case the ‘None’ option should be selected

Please Note:

In order to warrant a reduction in outputs the total reduction in ‘time 
available for research’ due to individual circumstances would need to be 
in the order of one calendar year, or involve a statutory period of 
maternity, paternity or adoption leave.

The REF guidance dictates that these circumstances are declared under 
the following categories, which are

· *clearly defined* periods of leave, secondment, part time working, or 
first academic contract starting on or after  1^st August 2009

· or more *complex reasons* e.g. absence due to ill health, or at work 
but unable to ‘effectively carry out research’, or absence due to carer 
responsibilities

· or a *combination* *of both* clearly defined and complex circumstances 
(if you have both please fill out a complex declaration)

· or* no circumstances* which are significant enough to warrant a 
reduction in outputs

Circumstances which may be time consuming but are *not included* in this 
process are teaching, marking, administration or any other activity 
which is a normal part of the academic role.

Any enquiries about this process to refteam at strath.ac.uk 
<mailto:refteam at strath.ac.uk> however please do not provide any more 
than general information about your individual circumstances by email.

With best wishes

Strathclyde REF Team


-- 
===============================================================
Professor Robert Martin
Head of Department,
Department of Physics,               tel: 0141-5483132
Strathclyde University,              fax: 0141-5522891
John Anderson Building,              e-mail:r.w.martin at strath.ac.uk
Glasgow, U.K.
G4 0NG

The Department is a partner in SUPA, the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
The University of Strathclyde is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, number SC015263




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