Research Excellence Framework 2021
The REF is the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The outcomes of the peer review process were published on May 12, 2022.
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The REF is the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The outcomes of the peer review process were published on May 12, 2022.
Over 70% of published research carried out at the University of Sunderland has been rated as either world-leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework results.
The University has doubled the proportion of world-leading or internationally excellent research since the REF was last held in 2014. The percentage of 4* world-leading research in terms of originality, significance, and rigour is up from 5% to 18%, and the percentage of 3* Internationally excellent research up from 23% to 44%.
Sunderland’s Grade Point Average (GPA) – the aggregated ‘score’ for the overall quality of research – also shows a significant improvement since 2014, from 2.12 to 2.75. As a result, the University’s GPA ranking position has improved by 30 places. Areas of particular strength highlighted in the REF were arts and creative subjects, engineering, health sciences, social work and English.
The results also reflected the impact of the University’s research on individuals, businesses and public and charitable sector organisations across the region and well beyond.
Research, innovation and knowledge exchange (KE) are central to the University of Sunderland’s work, from research-informed teaching to collaborations that promote the city and region within the UK and internationally.
Our submission to REF2021 was made on the 30th March 2021, with just over 100 researchers from Sunderland entered in the REF across a wide range of subject areas. We developed a Code of Practice on the fair and transparent identification of staff and outputs for submission to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). The outcome will be used to inform funding from the 2022-2023 academic year.
A submission is made containing three distinct elements:
Submissions were made to the following Units of Assessment:
Every six years or so, the Research Excellence Framework (REF) assesses the quality of research in the UK’s higher education institutions. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.
REF2021 is considered by the UK's funding bodies for Higher Education to have the following purposes:
The REF assesses 34 subject-based units of assessment (UoAs) which are split into four main panels.
The submissions are assessed through peer-review by expert panels that are made up of senior academics in relevant fields, international members and research users who are made up of people outside of academia in the private, public and third sectors.
The results are produced as ‘overall quality profiles’ which show the proportions of submitted activity judged to have met each quality level from 4* to unclassified. The quality levels are:
For more information, visit the REF website.
Contact: REF@sunderland.ac.uk