research excellence framework 2014

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Research Excellence Framework

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

The results  of the 2014 REF were published on 18 December 2014.

REF 2014 - key links

• 2014 REF Results and submissions   
• Evaluation of the 2014 REF
• REF Manager's report (March 2015) 
• Panel overview reports  (Jan 2015)
• EDAP's report on equality and diversity (Jan 2015)
• Key facts  leaflet about the REF

REF impact case studies

• A searchable online database  and an initial analysis of REF impact case studies are available.

Contact REF  | Copyright ©2014 REF | Disclaimer

How Research England supports research excellence

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) was the first exercise to assess the impact of research outside of academia. Impact was defined as ‘an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia’.

Impact case studies

As part of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework exercise, UK higher education institutions (HEIs) submitted 6,975 impact case studies demonstrating the impact of their research on wider society.

These case studies provide a unique and invaluable source of information on the impact of UK research. UK higher education (HE) research has wide and varied benefits on the economy, society, culture, policy, health, the environment and quality of life — both within the UK and overseas.

Universities engage with a range of public, private and charitable organisations and local communities. Analysis found that these wider impacts and benefits often stem from multidisciplinary work.

Latest report: Patterns in research outputs

Publication patterns in research underpinning impact in REF2014  describes patterns in research outputs submitted by UK higher education institutions to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework and to previous Research Assessment Exercises (RAEs).

The REF impact case study database

The impact case study database is a searchable tool that will make the impact case studies widely available and will enable analysis and automated text mining.

The licence arrangements relating to the use of this database can be accessed on the National Archive .

An initial analysis of the REF impact case studies is captured in the report, The nature, scale and beneficiaries of research impact .

The REF impact case studies were analysed by Digital Science, a division of Macmillan Science and Education, working in conjunction with its sister company Nature Publishing Group and the policy institute at King’s College London. This analysis was co-funded by the UK Funding Bodies, Research Councils UK and Wellcome Trust.

Maps of impact case studies

The maps of impact case studies indicate the local and global spread of research impact for UK higher education institutions (HEIs) by impact type and research area.

They are based on the names of locations referenced in REF2014 impact case studies and categorised in the REF impact case study database.

Last updated: 31 March 2022

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The 2014 Research Excellence Framework confirmed our place as a world-leading university. The results demonstrated our research excellence across a range of disciplines, putting us in the top 10 per cent of all UK universities.

The quality of research in universities across the UK is assessed periodically by the Research Excellence Framework (REF). These results were published in December 2014.

View the latest results - REF 2021

The REF is a peer-review exercise, involving expert researchers, as well as users of research from industry, business, and the public and third sectors.

The assessment takes three elements into consideration:

• the quality of research outputs, such as books, journal articles, conference proceedings and datasets
• the strength of the impact of research – the difference our research has made beyond the University
• the quality of the research environment – policies in place to support staff and doctoral students, facilities and resources and the contribution of our academic staff to their discipline.

99% of research at Sheffield was assessed as internationally recognised or better:

• 33% world leading
• 52% internationally excellent
• 13% internationally recognised
• 1% nationally recognised

The full results for Sheffield are detailed below:

REF 2014 presents the results by subject area and quality is graded as follows:

• 4* world leading
• 3* internationally excellent
• 2* internationally recognised
• 1* nationally recognised

In the table below, 'unit' refers to unit of assessment.

Related information

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Research features

Our research pillars

UCL Research

• UCL REF 2014 Results
• Submissions by UOA

REF 2014 was the first assessment of a new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. It replaced the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) last conducted in 2008.

UCL's submission

UCL was the top-rated university in the UK for research strength in the REF 2014.

• UCL made the 1st Largest Submission in London 
• 36 submissions* were made to the individual Units of Assessments
• 2750 Staff were submitted (2567 FTE)
• 491 Early Career Researchers submitted
• 9416 Outputs submitted
• 295 Impact Case Studies submitted
• > £1.4 Billion Research Income reported in REF4
• Our outputs included 372 monographs, 62 Edited Books, 7 Scholarly Editions

*UCL did not submit to all of the 36 REF Units of Assessment but multiple submissions were made to each of the following panels: 3 Allied health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy; 17 Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology; 25 Education; 34 Art and Design, History, Practice and Theory. 

Key facts on all uk submissions.

• 154 UK universities took part in REF 2014 .
• They made 1,911 submissions which comprised: - 52,077 academic staff - 191,232 research outputs - 6,975 impact case studies.
• 36 expert sub-panels reviewed the submissions, which were overseen by four main panels.
• Around £2 billion per year of research funding will be allocated on the basis of the results.

Find out more

• Read analysis by the UCL Vice-Provost (Research)
• Browse all 295 impact case studies
• View the details of the results
• View the submissions by Units of Assessment

Find out more about REF 2021

Follow @uclref.

Tweets by UCLREF

REF for UCL staff (login required)

Department of Economics

Research excellence framework 2014, we are ranked amongst the uk's top economics departments.

The results of the highly anticipated 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) were announced in December2014.

The Department of Economics at The University of Warwick is ranked 4th , affirming the high calibre of research in the Department.

GPA x Research Intensity

GPA - Grade point average. FTE - Full-time equivalent. Intensity - Staff submitted/eligible staff.

By GPA alone , the top 5 are slightly different:

• UCL (GPA: 3.78)
• LSE (GPA: 3.55)
• Oxford (GPA: 3.44)
• Cambridge (GPA: 3.42)
• Warwick (GPA: 3.41)

( Note : The LSE, UCL, Oxford and Warwick remain in the Top 5 in both of the shown rankings).

Submissions for the REF are made by institutions and assessed by an expert panel for each unit of assessment in three key areas:

outputs (65%) looking at originality, significance and rigour

impact (20%) looking at reach and significance

research environment (15%) looking at vitality and sustainability.

The weighting of these elements forms the overall quality profile. Each area is classified as four star, three star, two star, one star or unclassified.

A key highlight for the Department of Economics is the percentage of 4* and 3* ratings which places us joint 2nd with The University of Cambridge ahead of LSE and The University of Oxford:

In the area of outputs which account for 65% of the overall scores, Economics at Warwick is ranked joint 3rd with LSE just behind University College London and The University of Cambridge. We are also ranked 3rd for research 'power'. Impact is a new area to be assessed for the REF and we are ranked 4th in this category ahead of both Oxford and Cambridge.

4* and 3* ratings (percentages)

We are really pleased with the results of the REF which cement our position as one of the leading departments in the UK for research excellence. High-calibre research is central to all we do at Warwick and I congratulate every member of staff in the department who has directly or indirectly contributed to this success. Economics at Warwick is always forward-facing and we will continue to build on this achievement in the years ahead. Abhinay Muthoo , Professor of Economics

The rankings underscore the rapid ascent of the Department of Economics into the top tier of the discipline’s research engines in the nation. In our scant 49-year history, the Department has built an outstanding research performance on the sheer quality of its faculty members and their scholarship which is clearly evidenced by our exceptional achievement.

About the REF

The REF is the prestigious government exercise undertaken by the four higher education funding bodies and designed to assess the quality of research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The REF was completed in December 2014 and it replaced the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) which was last completed in 2008.

The REF is extremely important to HEIs as it is used to allocate funding and is used in university league tables and benchmarking. The assessment also provides accountability for public investment in research and produces evidence of the benefits of this investment.

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

Research Excellence Framework 2014

The University of Manchester's place as one of the UK's top research universities was confirmed in the results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF).

These results confirm Manchester's place as one of only a handful of the UK's leading research universities across a wide range of subjects. Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell / President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester

REF is the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions, replacing the Research Assessment Exercise.

83% of our research activity was judged to be 'world-leading' (4*) or 'internationally excellent' (3*), and we were ranked in fifth place in terms of research power (calculated by grade point average times number of staff submitted or by 4*/3* times number of staff submitted).

We had one of the broadest submissions of any university in the UK, with research evaluated in 35 discipline areas. The University was recognised as excellent in disciplines which span the full range of academic research, including:

• Aeronautical, Mechanical, Chemical and Manufacturing Engineering
• Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy
• Anthropology and Development Studies
• Biological Sciences
• Business and Management Studies
• Computer Science and Informatics
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering/Materials
• Modern Languages and Linguistics

The REF exercise also recognised our excellent research environment and how our research is having a genuine influence of the real lives of people, as evidenced by a series of impact cases studies, from new drugs and inventions to public policy.

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: "These results confirm Manchester's place as one of only a handful of the UK's leading research universities across a wide range of subjects, but also as a university with a commitment to making a real difference to society and the world we live in.

"The REF results show that we have sustained the research performance that we demonstrated following the merger of UMIST and the Victoria University of Manchester in 2004, and that we have emerged as a bona fide world leader in a number of subjects.

"We are committed to using this very sound base for further improvement so that we can reach our goal of becoming one of the top 25 universities in the world by 2020."

Manchester is now one of a small number of UK universities with an internationally significant research profile over a very wide range of subjects. The scale and diversity of our submission confirms Manchester’s status as a genuine research powerhouse.

Full REF 2014 results

View the University's full set of results by unit of assessment.

View full results

• ' REF2021 outcomes
• < What is the REF?

The Research Excellence Framework 2014 results confirmed our position as a dynamic research institution and one leading the charge for modern universities in the UK. The results reveal the international quality of our research right across the spectrum of health and medicine, business, arts and social sciences; transforming lives and underpinning the quality of our research-informed approach to teaching and learning. Each subject submission was also graded according to the impact of the work, and the research environment, such as the amount of funding received and the number of PhD students in each area. A university-wide success story, our results are a testament to the talent that permeates every area of expertise at the University of Plymouth.

Key highlights include:

• Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, which includes marine, environmental chemistry and geology, was the University’s highest-rated submission, with 85% of its research graded at 3 or 4 stars.
• Computer Science and Informatics, Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, and Clinical Medicine all registered scores of around 80%
• The University of Plymouth Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry ranked 13th overall, and first in the country in terms of the medical research ‘outputs’, based upon the quality of its publications and the number of citations.

Some REF2014 case study highlights

Plymouth’s ALIZ-E project leads the way in robotics ethical debate

Developing treatments and improving outcomes measurement in Multiple Sclerosis

Identifying and tackling chemical pollutants in the world’s oceans

Research in the blood

Discover more about our academic, economic and societal impact.

• University of Plymouth submitted 50 impact case studies to REF2014
• our case studies demonstrated impact on academia, politics, health, culture, technology, society, the economy and environment
• project funders included 12 national Department of Business, Innovation and Skills funding bodies
• reaching far and wide, Plymouth's global impact locations included Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, North and South America.

Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW)

Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)

Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC)

Department for Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland (DEL NI)

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Research excellence framework 2014

The University submitted 112 staff to 11 subject areas (compared to just 4 in RAE 2008) and saw a third of its research classified as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”, with just under three quarters of its research identified as at least “internationally recognised”.

The results show that there is “world leading” research in 9 of the 11 areas to which we submitted. This is a remarkable step forward for the University and shows its ever growing commitment to research.

There were particular successes for History where 56% of its research was recognised as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”; for Art & Design where more than 40% met this categorisation; and for Sport & Exercise Science where 86% of its research was at least “internationally recognised”.

For more details see our full REF 2014 results .

REF 2014 saw, for the first time, an assessment of the “impact” of research on society, economy, culture and environment. The results show that 44% of the University’s impact was rated as “outstanding” or “very considerable” in terms of reach and significance with 85% being classified as at least “considerable”.

The assessment was primarily focused on a series of impact case studies, evidenced accounts of how a particular body of research undertaken at the University has led to benefits beyond the academic sphere.

The results allow us to identify, for example, the considerable impact of research on:

• childhood obesity on weight management programmes in the West Midlands 
• aerobiology on the quality of life of hay fever sufferers
• plant disease on crop protection methods
• Shakespeare on theatre performance and practice in Romania
• remembrance on the thinking and approach of the National Memorial Arboretum.

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REF 2014 results: table of excellence

Some post-92s gain, but traditional research powers dominate 2014 research excellence framework rankings.

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THE REF 2014 table of excellence

Click here to download full results

The REF 2014 results tables in full:

Overall ranking of institutions Overall ranking of institutions including power market share Ranking of institutions on impact Institutions ranked by subject Ranking of institutions on output

The proportion of UK research classed as world-leading has been given a major boost by the inclusion of impact in the 2014 research excellence framework.

But the new element of the exercise, the results of which were published on 18 December, has not had the revolutionary effect that some had predicted.

Some observers had thought that impact – which counts for 20 per cent of the final REF score – would lead to some post-1992 institutions breaking into the upper echelons of the rankings.

However, Times Higher Education ’s ranking of institutions based on the grade point average of their results continues to be dominated by traditional research powers.

Of institutions that entered more than one unit of assessment, the Institute of Cancer Research retains the number one spot on GPA (see table above) that it held in the REF’s predecessor, the 2008 research assessment exercise – although it entered only two units of assessment. Imperial College London has risen from sixth to second, and the London School of Economics has climbed one place to third. The University of Oxford keeps its fourth place, but the University of Cambridge falls three places to fifth.

The highest ranking post-1992 institution is Cardiff Metropolitan University , in 41st place – although it entered only 35 researchers to three units of assessment. The next highest, the University of Brighton , is joint 58th, having entered 209 researchers to 10 units. Both institutions were aided by strong showings on impact. Brighton is the top-ranked post-1992 institution on impact GPA, in joint th. Cardiff Met is the next highest, in 50th.

Predictably perhaps, medical institutions also score very highly on impact (see table below). The Institute of Cancer Research records the highest impact GPA, with 87 per cent of its submission rated 4* and the other 13 per cent 3*. Second for impact is the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine ; fourth is the medical school St George’s, University of London . The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is sixth.

REF 2014 top 10 by impact

It is also notable that some research-intensives have slipped in the overall table by underperforming on impact. The University of Warwick , which is joint eighth overall and sixth on outputs, is only 33rd for impact. Queen Mary University of London is joint 11th overall, and joint seventh on outputs, but only 30th on impact. The lowest ranking Russell Group institution on impact is the University of Exeter , in joint 43rd.

Ranked solely on quality of outputs ( see table ) , the joint top institutions are the Institute of Cancer Research and the London School of Economics, followed by Oxford, then Cambridge and Imperial College London . On the same measure, there were notable performances by smaller research-intensives such as the University of Bath and the University of East Anglia , which are joint 10th. The lowest Russell Group member is Queen’s University Belfast , in joint 50th. It is also the lowest Russell Group member overall, in joint 42nd, one place below the highest post-1992 institution, Cardiff Met.

Among the top 30 on overall GPA, the biggest discrepancy between output and impact was shown by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , which ranked 46 places lower on output.

Overall, impact has been scored much more highly than outputs. Of institutions submitting to more than one subpanel, 77 per cent had a higher GPA for impact than for outputs.

How submissions were rated: 2008 RAE and 2014 REF

Click image to enlarge

Across the nation as a whole, 44 per cent of impact submissions were rated 4*, compared with only 22 per cent of outputs. The overall national GPA has risen from 2.56 in 2008 to 3.01 in 2014, including a rise in the proportion of submissions rated 4* from 17 to 30 per cent (see charts above).

The “esteem” element of the 2008 RAE, which impact replaced, was not marked as highly as impact. But David Sweeney, director of research, education and knowledge exchange at the Higher Education Funding Council for England, which administers the REF, insisted that the overall rise in grades reflected higher output scores as well. He also noted that the national “spread of excellence” was similar to that found in 2008, with three-quarters of universities having at least 10 per cent of their work labelled world-leading.

“These are a strong set of results that capture the improvement in the quality of British research over the past six years,” he said.

[email protected]

Methodology

In the overall table of excellence , institutions are ranked according to the grade point average (GPA) of their overall quality profiles. This is made up of profiles for output (worth 65 per cent of the total), impact (20 per cent) and environment (15 per cent).

The data published today by the Higher Education Funding Council for England present the proportion of each institution’s submission, in each unit of assessment, that falls into each of five quality categories. For outputs, these are 4* (world-leading), 3* (internationally excellent), 2* (internationally recognised), 1* (nationally recognised) and unclassified. For impact, they are 4* (outstanding), 3* (very considerable), 2* (considerable), 1* (recognised but modest) and unclassified. Times Higher Education then aggregates these profiles into a single institutional quality profile based on the number of full-time equivalent staff submitted to each unit of assessment. This reflects the view that larger departments should count for more in calculating an institution’s overall quality.

Each institution’s overall quality profile is then converted into a grade point average by multiplying its percentage of 4* research by 4, its percentage of 3* research by 3, its percentage of 2* research by 2 and its percentage of 1* research by 1; the results are added together and divided by 100 to give a score between 0 and 4. Note that owing to the rounding of decimals, there may appear to be a small discrepancy between the overall quality profiles and the stated GPA.

Where universities have the same GPA, they are ranked according to their research power. This is calculated by multiplying the institution’s overall rounded GPA by the exact total number of full-time equivalent staff it submitted to the REF. This is an attempt to combine volume and quality to produce a ranking that gives a more accurate indication than GPA of the relative amount of quality-related research funding each institution is likely to receive. Further analysis of results based on research power and market share is available here .

The 2008 rank order is taken from Times Higher Education ’s published rankings based on the 2008 research assessment exercise, which was the forerunner of the REF.

The impact table is constructed in a similar way but takes account solely of each institution’s quality profiles for impact. A similar table based solely on quality profiles for outputs is available online. The figure for number of UoAs entered counts multiple submissions separately.

The subject ratings rank each institutional submission to each of the 36 units of assessment based on the GPA of the institution’s overall quality profiles in that unit of assessment. Tables based solely on quality profiles for outouts and for impact are also produced alongside and are sorted by GPA score. Note that the rank order figures in the left-most column may not relate exactly to output and impact rankings. Figures for research power, as before, are calculated by multiplying GPAs by the number of academics submitted to the unit of assessment. Where a university submitted fewer than four people to a unit of assessment, Hefce has suppressed its quality profiles for impact and outputs, so it is not possible to calculate a GPA. This is indicated in the table by a dash.

As before, 2008 GPAs are taken from THE ’s rankings based on the 2008 RAE. However, since many units of assessment have changed since then, figures are not always available. Where they are not, the column is marked “n/a”. The same marker is used to indicate where an institution did not submit to the relevant unit of assessment in 2008.

Where units of assessment have changed their names since 2008 but are still broadly comparable, we have included 2008’s score for comparison. These are indicated with an asterisk in the name of the UoA.

For each unit of assessment we also show the “national profile” provided by Hefce, which we use to calculate GPA and research power figures for the entire discipline. As above, the GPA calculation is weighted according to the number of people submitted by each university.

Where the same institution made multiple submissions to the same unit of assessment, the various submissions are marked with different letters (eg, “University of Poppleton A”). Where universities have made joint submissions, they are listed on separate lines. The one with the higher research power is listed first.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency’s data on the number of staff eligible to be submitted, published today, was not available in time for Times Higher Education ’s press deadline. Hence, this information is not taken into account in these tables.

Data analysis was undertaken by TES Global Information. Special thanks to Almut Sprigade and Ilan Lazarus. The official REF data are at www.ref.ac.uk .

Related files

Ref 2014: overall ranking of institutions (pdf).

REF 2014: overall ranking of institutions including power market share (PDF)

Ref 2014: overall ranking of institutions including power market share (excel).

REF 2014: ranking of institutions on impact (PDF)

Ref 2014: institutions ranked by subject (pdf), ref 2014: ranking of institutions by gpa of their output profiles, register to continue.

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Oxford Brookes’ REF 2014 results

Oxford Brookes’ well-established and growing international reputation for research has been confirmed with the publication of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 results.

The results of the exercise show that 94%* of research is internationally recognised which compares to 78% in 2008. REF 2014 also found that 59% was judged to be of ‘world leading’ quality or ‘internationally excellent’, compared with 36% in 2008.

Research from across Oxford Brookes was shown to have been of significant quality with the results indicating particular strength in the Units of Assessment covering:

• Architecture, Built Environment and Planning
• Business and Management Studies
• English Language and Literature
• General Engineering
• Music, Drama, Dance and Performing Arts.

Professor Alistair Fitt, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, commented: “The REF 2014 results are a reflection of the expertise and confidence of researchers from across Oxford Brookes. We are justly proud of our thriving research community and these results are testament to the hard work of world-leading experts at the University.”

* All stated figures FTE weighted.

Table of 2014 results

FTE = Full Time Equivalent GPA = Grade Point Average 4* = Quality that is world leading 3* = Quality that is internationally excellent 2* = Quality that is recognised internationally 1* = Quality that is recognised nationally

Research impact

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The REF2014 results were announced in December 2014.

REF2014 introduced an assessment of the ‘impact’ arising from excellent research, alongside the ‘outputs’ and environment elements. Examples of how Oxford Brookes research is having an impact can be read on our Research Impact Showcase pages.

Research Impact Showcase

Related links

• REF 2014 (HEFCE)
• Faculty of Business
• Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
• Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment

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Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014

Discover how well we did in the Research Excellence Framework 2014

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the benchmark of a university's research success. Find out how we performed in REF 2014. 

Our units of assessment, uoa 2 public health, health services and primary care.

We submitted work from four research themes:

• Allergic and Respiratory Disorders
• Health and Social Care Environments
• Health and Social Care of the Older Person
• Global Health and Social Care
• 38% of our research was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 80% of our impacts were either outstanding or very considerable for reach and significance.
• 93% of our research outputs were rated internationally excellent or internationally recognised.
• We're committed to promoting the role of women in science (6 out of our 10 submitted individuals were female, 3 of whom currently or previously have worked part-time).

Impact case studies

• Demonstration of the ineffectiveness of water softeners in reducing symptoms of eczema in children.
• University of Portsmouth allergy research leads to overturn of inappropriate department of health guidelines on maternal feeding during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

UoA 3 Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Our submission included research from the Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Science  and covered four areas:

• Molecular Biophysics
• Cell Biology and Pharmacology
• Epigenetics and Developmental Biology
• Biomaterials/Drug Delivery
• 90% of our research was rated as world-leading or internationally-excellent.
• Our overall Grade Point Average increased from 2.50 to 3.12.
• Ranked in the top 20 of 94 institutions for research excellence.
• 100% of our research impact was outstanding and very considerable in terms of reach and significance.
• 3rd out of 25 in the University Alliance group. 
• Research leads to the commercial development and clinical impact of a first-in-class anti-cancer agent.
• The development and commercialisation of a polymer that reduces microbial colonisation on dental surfaces, thus improving oral health.
• Inhaled heparin, a novel therapeutic approach with clinical benefits in the treatment of obstructive airways diseases.

UoA 4 Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience

Our submission included work from three research centres:

• Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Situated Action and Communication

Twenty members of staff (9 female), including four early career researchers, were submitted. 

Our research had significant impacts on securing reliable witness testimony, interviewing procedures to detect deception, and also on public understanding and engagement with science at our zoo-based primate research facility.

• 100% of our impact rated as outstanding or very considerable.
• 67% of our research profile rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 57% of outputs were regarded as world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 3rd out of 25 in the University Alliance group.
• Cognitive research leads to improved lie detection processes and training adopted by professionals in forensic, intelligence, security and commercial settings.
• Improving public engagement with and understanding of science through a zoo-based primate research facility.
• Promoting justice, protecting victims and supporting witnesses: the impact of the Self-Administered Interview (SAI) in investigative contexts.

UoA 7 Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences

Our submission included research from five research groups based in our School of Earth and Environmental Sciences  and the School of Biological Sciences :

• Ecotoxicology and Environmental Monitoring
• Natural Resource Management and Modelling
• Biodiversity and Evolution
• Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology
• Crustal Evolution 

Please refer to UoA 17 Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology for research on environmental change.

• 100% of our research impact classed as outstanding or very considerable.
• 72% of our research classed as world leading or internationally excellent.
• Our Grade Point Average increased from 2.40 to 2.78.
• Our Research Power Index more than doubled.
• 3rd out of the post-92 universities in this Unit.
• Nearly twice as many research staff were submitted.
• Three-fold increase in our research income.
• The Chemcatcher – an approved passive sampler for monitoring water quality.
• Enhancing public understanding of nuclear safety issues following the Fukushima nuclear accident.
• Driving innovation in wood protection for the marine environment.
• Public engagement with evolutionary science: Pterosaurs hit the big and little screen.

UoA 9 Physics

The Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation  (ICG) has established an international reputation for research in cosmology and astrophysics, playing a leading role in several major astronomical surveys. 

17 scientists, including 7 early career researchers, were submitted.

• One of the top three universities nationally for the proportion of such high quality physics outputs. 
• 96% of our physics research outputs judged world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 89% of Portsmouth physics research outputs, environment and impact rated world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 90% of research environment internationally excellent.
• Top rated new university for physics research.
• Top rated Alliance Group university for physics research, on a par with many Russell Group universities.
• Impact of baryon acoustic oscillations research on the European Space Agency Euclid mission.
• Impact of Galaxy Zoo and the Zooniverse on public engagement with scientific research.
• High impact public engagement in cosmology.

UoA 10 Mathematical Sciences

Our submission came from two research clusters:

• Nonlinear and Complex Systems
• Logistics and Operational Research

The work spanned the spectrum from theoretical advances through to applications addressing specific challenges in collaboration with academic and industrial partners. 11 staff were submitted. 

• 9.8% of our research outputs were rated world-leading and 61% rated either world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 80% of our impact rated as having very considerable reach and significance.
• 24th out of 53 UK institutions for impact at world-leading and internationally excellent level.
• Ranked joint 1st among post-1992 universities.
• 62% rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 2nd for overall performance among post-1992 universities.
• The use of goal programming to optimise resource allocation in hospitals in the UK and China.
• Use of goal programming models to assist strategic financial investment decision making.

UoA 11 Computer Science and Informatics

Our submission covered three research groups: 

• Computational Intelligence
• Health Informatics
• Networking and Security
• 100% of our impact rated as either outstanding (4*) or very considerable in terms of reach and significance (3*). We are rated first nationally for 4*/3* impact. 
• Top overall world-leading research amongst post-92 universities and University Alliance group.
• 20% of our research rated world-leading and 64% was either world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 19% of research outputs rated world-leading and 60% was either world-leading or internationally excellent.
• Our Grade Point Average increased from 1.9 to 2.81.
• Nationally, we progressed from Q4 in 2008 to Q2 in 2014.
• Improved mobility and quality of life for children with disabilities.
• Clinical outcome modelling saves lives.

UoA 12 Aeronautical, Mechanical, Chemical and Manufacturing Engineering

REF 2014 highlighted our significant growth in Mechanical Engineering  research since 2008.  Our submission covered four research groups:

• Materials and Structural Integrity
• Biomechanical Engineering
• Polymer and Composites
• Thermo-Fluid, Energy and Manufacturing Engineering
• 3rd out of new universities submitted in this Unit.
• 61% of our research outputs were rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 50% of our research overall was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 50% of our impact was rated as having very considerable reach and significance.
• Improved creep-fatigue-oxidation resistance in gas turbine disc materials.
• Improved service life management of safety critical aero-engine components subject to foreign object damage.
• Improved surgical practice through engineering research.

UoA 17 Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology

REF 2014 recognised that our geography research is making world-leading and internationally recognised contributions to important societal issues and academic debates. 

11 staff were submitted representing work across three research groups: 

• Environmental Processes and Change
• Geographies of Health, Well-being and Lifecourse
• Historical Geography and Spatial Analysis
• Over 42% of our publications classed as internationally excellent or world-leading.
• Around 90% of our publications are of international quality level.
• Our Grade Point Average increased from 2.2 to 2.37.
• 39% of our overall research rated as internationally excellent or world-leading.
• 60% of our research impact was classed as having outstanding or very considerable impacts in terms of its reach and significance. 
• All of our research impact was recognised as considerable.
• Enabling access to local historical information for everywhere through A Vision of Britain .
• The smoking epidemic in England and Scotland: shaping public health policy and planning.

UoA 19 Business and Management Studies

The 47 strong (41.4 FTE) submission to this Unit was the largest made by the University to REF 2014. 

Our submission covered eight research groups: 

• Business Education
• Business Innovation and Growth
• Business Logistics
• Corporate Governance
• Employment Relations and Human Resource Management
• Finance and Operational Research. 

Our research was viewed as having an extremely significant impact in economic, social and policy-making terms beyond academia.

• Strongest performing post-1992 university.
• In the top third of all submitting institutions.
• 100% of research impact was ranked as outstanding or very considerable. 
• In top 10% for impact in the Unit, and in the top 5 for impact among the 39 largest Business and Management submissions (35+ staff).
• 87.5% of our research environment was rated as internationally excellent. 
• 62% of our research rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.
• Our Grade Point Average increased from 2.1 to 2.74.

It was accompanied by five impact case studies which reflected the breadth and depth of research undertaken within the business arena – these included work which has:

• revolutionised how flight data from aircraft flight recorders is analysed,
• led to efficiency savings in naval manpower planning,
• altered the way one of the big four accountancy firms carried out its audit processes,
• helped to improve the work-related quality of life of employees in a number of major UK companies,
• prompted legislative change and new stocking strategies as conduit to enhance growth and tackle poverty in the fisheries of Central Asia.

UoA 22 Social Work and Social Policy

This was our first submission to this Unit. In 2008, staff were entered under two separate units — UoA 36 Business and Management Studies and UoA 50 European Studies.

We made one of the largest submissions in the area of crime and social justice research in the country. It covered three research clusters: 

• Policing, Crime and Investigation
• Risk, Security and Counter Fraud
• Youth, Crime and Social Justice

24 staff were submitted, including six early career researchers. 42% of staff entered were female. 

• 56.8% of our outputs were rated as either world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 9th out of 23 post-1992 institutions for quality of outputs.
• 50% of our work, including environment and impact, was rated outstanding or very considerable.
• 26th out of 62 institutions nationwide for research power (which measures the quality of the profile alongside the headcount of researchers entered).
• Improvements to the training and professional development of police in investigative interviewing.
• Enhancing support for victims of fraud.
• Shaping the design and implementation of payment by results contracts in the delivery of welfare to work programmes.

UoA 26 Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism

This was our Department of Sports and Exercise Science’s first submission to the research assessment process. 

Eight staff, including three Early Career Researchers, were submitted representing work across three research groups:

• Extreme Environmental Medicine and Science
• Breast Health
• Human Performance and Health
• 100% of our impact is rated as either outstanding or very considerable in terms of its reach and significance.
• 87% of our research output is rated as internationally excellent or internationally recognised in terms of its quality, significance and rigour.
• Our research environment was rated as internationally excellent or internationally recognised.
• Improving sports bra design and breast health through biomechanics research.
• Improving understanding and changing protocols for the rescue and resuscitation of immersion victims.

UoA 27 Area Studies

The Centre for European and International Studies Research  achieved a continuing track-record of excellence in REF 2014. 

We made one of the largest submissions to REF 2014 for this Unit. 42 individuals (39 FTE) were entered — almost twice as many individuals as the average Area Studies entry. Early Career Researchers make up almost 40% of our profile.

Our submission included work from eight research clusters: 

• Cohabited Space
• Francophone Africa 
• International Development Studies and Security Issues
• Language across Borders
• Social and Cultural History 
• Sociology and Social Theory 
• Transnational Europe
• Women's and Gender Studies
• In the top 4 universities for research power in Area Studies in the UK.
• 25% of our research was rated world-leading and 68% either world-leading or internationally excellent. 
• 40% of our impact was rated outstanding and 84% as either outstanding or very considerable, placing us in the top ten universities in the UK for research impact.
• 90% of our research environment was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent — one of the top performances in the country.
• Our Grade Point Average for Impact (3.24) and Environment (3.20) was significantly above the national average.
• Exhibiting Europe: transnationalising museum networks and narratives.
• French and British Africa policy. enhancing understanding, improving cooperation.
• Popular culture and the city: exhibiting inclusive and challenging urban histories.
• Transforming the educational delivery and public understanding of French revolutionary terror.

UoA 29 English Language and Literature

Our first submission to this Unit comprised work from our Centre for Studies in Literature  (CSL). This research is organised in three clusters:

• Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture
• Twentieth and Twenty-First Century British and American Literature
• Early Modern Writing
• 58.5% of our research outputs were deemed world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 24.4 % of our publications achieved a 4* rating.
• 2.78 Grade point average (GPA) for research outputs.
• In the top 20 post-1992 Higher Education Institutes for our percentage of world-leading publications.
• The home of great (crime) writing: developing Portsmouth as a literary and cultural centre.
• Victorian literary heritage: promoting public engagement with Dickens and Tennyson.

UoA 36 Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management

This was our first submission to this Unit. It reflected collaborations between the School of Media and Performance and the School of Creative Technologies. 

11 staff were submitted, covering two research areas: 

• Digital Transformations, with a focus on the material preservation of digital artefacts
• Media Cultures, embracing research on historical and contemporary media, cultural and creative industries. 
• 100% of our research impact was rated as outstanding or very considerable.
• 1st for research impact in the Alliance Group and the South East region and in the top ten universities nationally with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.60.
• 90% of research is internationally recognised and above.
• Our research environment was ranked as either world-leading or internationally excellent with a GPA of 3.30.
• 20% of outputs ranked as world-leading and 55% as either world-leading or internationally excellent.
• 8th of the post-1992 universities.
• In the top 40 universities for research power.
• Preserving the digital future: the impact of the TOTEM (Trustworthy Online Technical Environment Metadata) registry on preservation professional policy and practice.
• Game changing: games research creates new knowledge of digital games environments, improves industry perception of collaborations with academia and results in commercially successful, award-winning products.

Research Excellence Framework results 2014

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a UK-wide assessment of the quality of research in universities undertaken by expert review panels. 

Each subject area was assessed under ‘units of assessment’. The REF is undertaken on behalf of Government by the funding councils for higher education.

• More about the REF and how it works
• Read our press release about the results

• We were ranked joint 14th overall in the Times Higher Education's ranking of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014.
• The proportion of our research of world-leading 4* status was among the highest of any UK university.
• We were rated tenth out of 122 higher education institutions for the impact of our research.
• Eight departments were ranked in the top five for their subject. Twelve were in the top ten for research impact.

Departmental results

* The REF exercise is a measure of research quality. The rankings within this listing are based on Grade Point Average (GPA) unless otherwise identified. Some rankings are listed excluding single or specialist institutions who returned in fewer than three Units of Assessment. 

Units of assessment

A full breakdown of the results according to the REF units of assessment is shown in the table below.

• Four star (4*) : World-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
• Three star (3*) : Internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which falls short of the highest standards of excellence.
• Two star (2*) : Recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
• One star (1*)  Recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
• Unclassified (U/C) : Falls below the standard of nationally recognised work. Or work which does not meet the published definition of research for the purposes of this assessment.

Related links

• See our REF 2021 results
• Research Excellence Framework

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Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014

We are ranked 16th in the UK for research power

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

Areas such as neuroscience, English language and literature and computing science have been rated as amongst the leading departments in the UK.

Research areas ranging from dentistry and biological sciences, to civil engineering, maths, and media and cultural studies were all rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.

• REF results by Unit of Assessment
• REF results overview table

Coordinated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the REF is a process driven by external review. Each research-active University submits a return for each research unit. These submissions are reviewed by expert panels appointed by HEFCE.

The REF produces assessment outcomes for each Unit submission. Funding bodies use the outcomes to inform the allocation of their research funding to universities. REF provides accountability for public investment in research and produces evidence of the benefits of this investment. You can get more detail on the REF from HEFCE .

RAE results

REF replaces the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). Find out about our Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) results .

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