The results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) have been released.
Published (Updated )
City University London has been recognised for producing world leading and internationally excellent research.
The results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 show a significant advancement in City's research standing. The REF 2014 assessed the quality and impact of research submitted by 154 UK universities.
Data published this morning, show that 75% of City's submission to the REF was rated as being of world leading 4* (23%) and internationally excellent 3* (52%) quality. This is a marked improvement from the last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) in 2008 when 51% of research at City was rated as 4* and 3*.
City submitted 1,592 academic outputs (such as journal articles) and 49 impact case studies from 378 staff (FTE) in 12 Units of Assessment. This represented 53% of eligible academic staff compared to 49% in RAE2008. As a result, while 25% of City's eligible academic staff were assessed as producing 4* and 3* research in RAE2008, this increased significantly to 40% in REF2014.
The results in the individual Units of Assessment can be found on our REF2014 webpage.
Professor Sir Paul Curran, Vice-Chancellor of City University London, commented:
"City is committed to academic excellence and the original thinking that advances knowledge and changes lives. We produce research that is recognised throughout the world for its quality, its relevance to contemporary intellectual challenges and its influence on the future agendas of academics, business leaders and policy makers. Maximising the impact and relevance of our work in ways that are useful to the wider economy, cultural life, public services and policy-making is at the heart of what we do."
Professor John Fothergill, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Enterprise) commented:
"Universities are discoverers, generators and disseminators of knowledge. For students, the 2014 REF results confirm that the academic staff who educate them are world leading experts in their fields. They use this expertise in research to improve the education they deliver".
The results show that the quality of research being produced at universities across the country has improved significantly, confirming other independent evidence of the UK's world leading position and enhanced performance.
The REF 2014 provides a robust and thorough assessment of the quality of universities' research in all disciplines, with research from 52,061 academic staff and 154 UK universities being reviewed. The results are used to allocate approximately £2 billion of so-called Quality Related (QR) research funding to universities each year. The REF also provides important reputational information about UK universities which will be reflected in several major league tables.
Speaking on behalf of the four UK higher education funding bodies, Professor Madeleine Atkins, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said:
"The 2014 REF represents an outstanding achievement. Rigorous assessment of high-quality research is at the heart of the REF and the results confirm that UK universities are in the top rank of an internationally competitive research community. UK research has improved from an already strong position in the last exercise, with many universities delivering more ground-breaking work of the highest quality. Universities have also demonstrated how their excellent research has impacted positively on economic growth, health and social well-being, and improved quality of life".
Further analysis of the REF 2014 will be released over the coming months.