These changes include a new Achievement Relative to Opportunity framework which is aimed at ensuring more equitable submission requirements for researchers who are employed part-time, meet the criteria to be considered New and Emerging, or have experienced individual circumstances over the course of the assessment period which have impacted on the amount of research activity they have been able to carry out.

Other significant changes include simplified eligibility criteria for New and Emerging Researchers, and a revised process for declaring individual circumstances. Full details of the in-principle decisions, along with summaries of the consultation feedback received, can be found on the TEC website: SRG Consultation Papers 2026

The SRG’s recommendations on individual circumstances were made following extensive consultation across the sector. This included in-depth hui with PBRF managers and research administrators to ensure the views and processes of participating organisations were fully understood.

With the publication of these in-principle decisions, the TEC and the SRG have now addressed all of Cabinet’s key decisions on changes to the PBRF, which is a significant milestone towards delivering the Guidelines for Quality Evaluation 2026.

These in-principle decisions will inform the SRG’s recommendations on the remaining issues it will consider and will be reflected in the Quality Evaluation 2025 Guidelines. In order to support the sector in understand how these changes interact with the in-principle decisions on EP design in particular, the TEC will publish detailed draft guidance on the new EP submission requirements before the end of the year.

The SRG is operating between September 2021 and the publication of the final Quality Evaluation 2025 Guidelines in September 2023. Information on Quality Evaluation 2026 and the SRG is available on the TEC website: Sector Reference Group (SRG) 2026