"in an effort to refine" is correct and usable in written English.
You could use it when referring to the act of making something better, more precise, or more perfect. For example, "The researchers conducted extensive tests in an effort to refine their prototype."
Launched in early 2012, MeUndies has spent the last year listening to customer feedback in an effort to refine its products and service.
Later, theoretical sampling is used to identify pertinent data in an effort to refine and elaborate on emerging tentative categories in order to compare similarities and differences of categories along their properties (Charmaz 2006a, b).
I wanted to open some eyes". After spending his junior year on the junior varsity, he committed himself to rigorous workouts in an effort to refine his shooting touch and hone his defensive skills.
But, prior to that, perhaps in an effort to refine his comedic timing, the Commander in Chief popped up on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to participate in "Mean Tweets," the talk show host's popular segment where celebrities stare at their (hopefully secure) cell phones and read insulting, condescending comments composed by Twitter users.
In an effort to refine the BD sub-phenotype, response to lithium treatment has been shown to be a useful characteristic in molecular genetic studies.
Even the exacting American Association of Art Museum Directors accepts sales when there is an effort to "refine and improve" a collection.
Target, Minneapolis, in another effort to refine its appeal to shoppers, is introducing a campaign that carries the theme "Life's a moving target".
In its effort to refine its mission, the Business Council in the last two years changed to its current name, the fourth in its history.
There is currently a major ongoing effort to refine laser refractive surgery, with the aim to eliminate higher order aberrations.
Getting SLAM to work in a small embedded computer system required significant effort to refine and optimize the algorithms used.
Though Iran attempted to refine heavy grade Forouzan oil for the first time at its Bandar Abbas refinery in August 2008, it is unclear whether, and to what extent, the effort to refine the heavy oil was successful.
