Research Assessment Exercise 2008
Wales saw strong performances over a range of subjects from art and design to
physics, with world-class achievement in a number of areas including civil
engineering, computer science and informatics, psychiatry and neuroscience,
psychology and Celtic studies.
14% of all research activity submitted by Welsh institutions was judged to be ‘world-leading’, with a further 35% assessed as ‘internationally excellent’.
The full definitions of the quality levels are:
Four star Quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and
rigour.
Three star Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality,
significance and rigour, but which nonetheless falls short of the
highest standards of excellence.
Two star Quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality,
significance and rigour.
One star Quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality,
significance and rigour.
Unclassified Quality that falls below the standards of nationally recognised work.
Or work which does not meet the published definition of research
for the purposes of this assessment.
Aberystwyth University World leading research has been identified in 15 of 16 subject areas at Aberystwyth University which is now second in Wales for quality of research and 41st out of 119 in the UK according to the Time Higher Education Supplement (THES) and the Research Fortnight.
The results show that 85% of research activity submitted by Aberystwyth University is of an international standard, with world leading research identified in 15 of the 16 subject areas submitted. The findings also reveal that 48% of research activity at Aberystwyth University is rated as world leading or internationally excellent and 97.4% of researchers work in disciplines where world leading research is undertaken.
40% of research submitted by the Department of International Politics is rated 4*, placing the Department top in Wales and in the top 3 (THES) in the UK.
70% of research submitted by the Department of Computer Science rated 4* or 3* placing it top in Wales.
65% of research submitted by the Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences and the Department of Welsh is rated 4* or 3* placing them top in Wales.
60% of research submitted by the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies is rated 4* or 3* placing it top in Wales.
Further information is available here
Bangor
University The RAE assessment has identified world leading research in all of the University’s 19 assessed subject areas with nearly 50% given the top grading of 3* and 4*.
Areas of particular excellence include Accounting & Finance within the Business School which is rated as the best in the UK and Electronic Engineering which is rated second in the UK.
In addition, Sports Science and Welsh are placed in the top 10 in the UK in their respective units of assessment and Psychology 11th in the UK.
In the Arts & Humanities, the School of Music for example had 90% of its research staff rated as world leading or of international quality.
And 90% of research staff in the Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences field which includes Ocean Sciences were also rated as world leading or of international quality.
More information here.
Cardiff University The latest Research Assessment Exercise 2008 shows that world-leading research is being undertaken throughout Cardiff University. The outcomes represent another outstanding success for the University, which is established as one of the UK’s leading research universities and as the powerhouse of research in Wales - where the University provided 40% of the 2,500 researchers submitted for assessment.
Almost 60 per cent of all research at Cardiff University was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent. Remarkably, 33 out of
34 research areas submitted by the University for assessment by independent panels of experts are shown to be undertaking research that includes work that is “world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour.”
Further information on Cardiff University's RAE results can be found here.
Glyndwr University
57.5 per cent of research was recognised as being of quality that is recognised internationally. Computer Science and Informatics, and Metallurgy and Materials research in particular were recognised as world leading.
The University submitted more subject areas than ever before for the research assessment and the quality of research in previously assessed subject areas improved significantly.
Swansea
University Overall at Swansea University, almost 50 per cent of staff submitted for assessment have been given the highest ratings, which, according to the RAE, means they are producing research which is world-leading or internationally excellent in terms of its originality, significance and rigour.
Out of 31 subject areas submitted, Swansea University came first in 17 areas in Wales, and first or second in 24 areas including Civil Engineering, Economics, General Engineering and Mineral and mining engineering, Physics and Pure Mathematics. This is a huge endorsement of Swansea University’s development and investment plans over the past few years.
85% of business staff classed as producing research of international quality or above
87% of staff in the School of Medicine were assessed as producing research of international quality or above.
60% of Economics staff were rated world leading or internationalally excellent
Full details of the results are available here
Swansea Metropolitan University
Swansea Metropolitan University RAE results ranks it as
the most improved university in Wales and in top 10% of all UK universities for its rate of development. Nearly 60% of research output was rated of ‘international quality with an element in each or three faculties regarded as ‘world leading’.
University of Glamorgan
The University of Glamorgan has achieved excellent results in the (RAE) 2008, confirming its status as one of Wales’ research active universities. More than seventy per cent of Glamorgan’s research activity was assessed as being of a quality recognised internationally for its originality, significance and rigour with around 10% of this research recognised as world-leading.
Particularly good results were gained in the submission from Creative and Cultural Industries at Glamorgan. Other good results were in English, History, Engineering, Built Environment, Nursing, Social Policy and Computing.
University of Wales Institute Cardiff
Sport and Tourism at UWIC performed strongly in the assessment, each with 25% of research submitted by the institution rated as Internationally Excellent or World Leading and over two thirds of research submitted rated as being of International Standing.
Further information available here
The Wales Institute of research in Art & Design comprising University of Wales Newport's School of Art & Design and UWIC's School of Art & Design submitted jointly
Ranked by the Times Higher Education as the leading centre for art and design research in Wales and in the top 12 in the UK, an impressive 70% of art and design related research submitted has been rated as ‘Internationally Excellent’ or ‘World-leading’ and 95% as being of 'international standing'.
University of Wales Newport
The University of Wales, Newport gained its best ever results in the RAE. Traditionally known as a teaching institution, the University has grown its research capabilities in recent years, to move up the overall UK table to rank 55th out of 132 universities (from 61st in 2001) and 5th out of 10 in Wales.
All research subject areas submitted by the University of Wales, Newport achieved international recognition, with 55% of its research classed as of quality that is internationally excellent and 7% classed as world-leading.
The five subject areas submitted were:- Art and Design; Mechanical Engineering; Social Work and Social Policy & Administration; Education; History.
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
75% of all research activity at University of Wales Lampeter was recognised as of international standing in terms of its originality, significance and rigour. 6% of the research activity received the highest grade, being recognised as among the best in the world.
15% of activity in the Research Institute of Archaeology, History & Anthropology is identified as “world-leading” in terms of its originality, significance and rigour, with an additional 70% classified as either internationally excellent or internationally recognised.
In the Research Institute of Theology & Religious Studies, 90% of research is of an internationally recognised quality, with 5% as world-leading and another 30% as internationally excellent. Theology & Religious Studies in Lampeter is one of the largest departments in the UK and was rated as the best in Wales.