The speedy insertion of impact assessment into the plans for the Research Excellence Framework last month has alarmed academics. To grade work not just on its scholarly merits but on how useful it is, economically and socially, is anathema to many researchers. But the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s plans are not as bad as they may seem, and their potential adverse consequences pale in comparison with those of the equally hasty implementation of the impact agenda at the research councils. Read more in Research Fortnight.