On the 18th December the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 results were published. Sheffield Hallam University as a whole did well, rising 24 places in the national league tables, and securing ‘world class’ and ‘internationally excellent’ status for more than half of the research outputs it submitted. It is now 5th in a league table of post-92 universities for research quality.
And FairShares was part of it!
For the first time, universities were required to submit ‘Impact Cases’ to show the impact of their research activities on the wider world. Sheffield Business School (SBS) submitted two impact cases (both linked to outstanding research in the field of charity regulation and social economy development). Half (50%) of SBS’s impact was judged to be ‘World Class’ and ‘Internationally Excellent’ with the remainder ‘Internationally Recognised’. This result reflects well on the FairShares Association which has developed a close relationship with academics at the university. The FairShares Model, as well as the formation of the FairShares Association, features prominently at the end of SBS’s impact case on ‘Democratising Co-operatives, Charities and Social Enterprises‘ (click to read).
So – it’s official – FairShares is part of the ‘world class’ and ‘internationally excellent’ research impact at Sheffield Business School according to the UK’s research councils.