The TEC has updated the PBRF User Manual (PDF 907 KB). This resource for TEOs covers a range of key information and background about the fund, including its purpose, its components and annual funding processes, and what TEOs need to do in terms of reporting for the Research Degree Completions and External Research Income components.

The User Manual was last updated in 2016. Given recent changes to the fund agreed by Cabinet, the updated PBRF funding determination (PDF 391 KB), and the work underway for the Quality Evaluation 2025, it has now been updated and refreshed. 

The basic document remains the same. The main changes in the new 2022 version of the PBRF User Manual relate to:

• adding the fund’s new objective and three new principles agreed by Cabinet
• noting the Sector Reference Group process for the Quality Evaluation 2025 where relevant
• adding information on changes to subject area weightings for the Quality Evaluation 2025 (Evidence Portfolios submitted to the Māori Knowledge and Development panel will have a weighting of 3 rather than 1; Evidence Portfolios submitted to the Pacific panel will be weighted at 2.5 rather than 1)
• adding information on new researcher-based ethnicity weightings for the Quality Evaluation 2025
• revising the section on External Research Income to reflect new weighting on different income types and to reduce some repetition.

If you have any questions about the PBRF User Manual changes, please contact pbrfinfo@tec.govt.nz.