Published on Fri, 20/06/2025 - 13:54
Research England has open access requirements for the Research Excellence Framework (REF2029). These apply to journal articles and conference proceedings published after 1 January 2021, with tighter requirements applying to items published from 1 January 2026.
University advice and guidance hasn't changed: the University is committed to the principles of open research and expects all publications to be submitted to the Open Access Service. Researchers can meet both the current and tighter requirements by depositing research outputs in the institutional repository Apollo. You’ll find the 3 steps to follow, along with more information on the REF policy changes and why Open Research matters on the REF2029 at Cambridge SharePoint.
REF is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. Research England allocates funding based on the outcome. Funding from REF, and from other funders, relies on us making our world-leading research available to all.
If you have any queries please contact Ref2029@admin.cam.ac.uk.