Sixty-eight per cent of research we submitted to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework was judged to be either world-leading or internationally excellent. 

Published every six years, the Framework assesses research in every UK higher education institution. The assessment is based on three aspects: the Research Environment, Research Impact and Research Outputs, with an overall scoring profile of 4* world leading, 3* internationally excellent, 2* internationally recognised and 1* nationally recognised.

The 2021 Framework also found that:

  • We are the top Scottish modern university for both research power and research impact
  • 68 per cent of our research is now assessed as “internationally excellent” or “world leading”, up 15 per cent since 2014
  • 80 per cent of our impact is now assessed as “internationally excellent” or “world leading”, up 25 per cent since 2014

Our research impact

The research submitted in REF2021 covered a wide range of academic disciplines, from environmental science and computer science to built environment and social policy. It included projects focusing on mangrove and seagrass conservation, cybercrime-busting technology, offsite construction solutions, cardiovascular health and police stop and search policy, to name just a few.

View our successes at the REF 2021 website