KEF4 Summary
The results of the fourth iteration of the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF4) were published on 18 September by Research England. This illustrates KE activity by all English higher education providers (HEPs) between 1 August 2020 and 31 July 2023 as metrics are based on an average over three years. KEF4 continues the technical methodology used in KEF2 and KEF3, meaning it can be used not only to compare Oxford’s KEF4 performance against its peers in Cluster V (very large, very high research intensive and broad-discipline universities undertaking significant amounts of excellent research), but also against its own results in KEF2 and KEF3. KEF4 continues to display the narrative statements submitted and published for KEF3 and it has been confirmed that these will not be updated until KEF6 (2026) at the earliest.
Oxford’s scores in KEF4 maintained the KEF3 levels in all perspectives, except for Working with the public and third sector, which showed an increase from high to very high engagement. This reflected modest increases in the underlying higher education business and community interaction (HE-BCI) metrics for consultancy and facilities income with the public and third sector and for contract research income with the public and third sector.
Oxford’s KEF4 score exceeded the Cluster V average in four perspectives: continuous professional development (CPD) and graduate start-ups; Research Partnerships; Working with business; and Working with the public and third sector. Oxford’s Very High Engagement for intellectual property (IP) and commercialisation matches the cluster average.
Scores for Public and Community Engagement and Local Growth and Regeneration were lower than the Cluster V average, but consistent with KEF3. For the former this is because the self-assessment scores from KEF3 were carried over and do not account for progress made in the last year and for the latter a lack of development funding in Oxfordshire limits our performance in this Perspective.
For further information, please see the KEF4 overview.
