The REF team says the survey will test the “clarity, robustness and implementation” of proposals that have emerged through the criteria-setting process, with responses informing the final guidance. The REF results are used to allocate about £2 billion a year of public block grant funding for research. In September last year, Patrick Vallance, who was then science minister, initiated a three-month pause in REF 2029 activity pending reforms to the exercise, which pushed schedules back. The REF team said the survey is not a formal consultation and does not seek wider input on the existing published REF 2029 guidance. Responses are encouraged “from higher education institutions, representative bodies, learned societies, and other organisations or individuals with an interest in research assessment”, the REF team added.