At its meeting on 19 November 2021 the SRG agreed options and wording for broadening the PBRF definitions of research and research excellence. The Group now seeks feedback on the proposed options and wording.  

At the meeting, the SRG also considered feedback on the first consultation paper – ‘Approaches to operational design of the Quality Evaluation 2025’. In response to feedback from across the sector, the SRG has decided to extend the consultation period for this second paper until 14 February 2022. Following the end of the consultation period, the SRG will consider the feedback, and make recommendations to the TEC on the PBRF definition of research, and the approach to Māori and Pacific knowledge definitions, research excellence, and Quality Category descriptors.

The TEC will carry out additional sector consultation as indicated to develop specific wording based on the options recommended. These will then be considered by the SRG, alongside the outcome of consultation on Evidence Portfolio design. This will provide an opportunity to ensure the research definition recommendations align with Evidence Portfolio design recommendations.

We anticipate that the TEC’s In Principle decisions on the PBRF definitions of research and research excellence, and EP design, will be confirmed in mid-2022.

A summary of the feedback received on the first consultation paper can be found on the TEC website, along with all of the SRG’s decisions on grouping and sequencing of issues in relation to that feedback.

The confirmed consultation schedule is available on the TEC website, and updates including consultation outcomes will be made regularly. The SRG will operate between September 2021 and the publication of the final Quality Evaluation 2025 Guidelines in June 2023.

The consultation period for this second paper is 10 December 2021 – 14 February 2022. Feedback may be submitted via the online survey:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N5QSBQW.

Information on the 2025 Quality Evaluation and the SRG is available on the TEC website.