Research Excellence Framework 2021

World-leading Research

Ulster University has increased its level of 4* world-leading research with 87% of research judged to be either world-leading or internationally excellent.

Key increases in Ulster’s 2021 submission include:

44% increase in our world-leading 4* overall research profile
53% increase in world-leading 4* research outputs
48% increase in world-leading 4* research environment

View our REF Results

Research with Impact

Overall, Ulster University has further increased its research positioning in the UK;

Ulster University now ranks in the Top 10% of UK Universities for outstanding (4*) or very considerable (3*) research impact.
97% of Ulster’s research was judged as having ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable impacts’ in terms of reach and significance
97% of Ulster's research environment has been judged as being conducive to producing research of world-leading and internationally excellent quality and enabling outstanding impact
80.1% of Ulster’s research outputs have been assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’

View our REF Results

Our Research Focus

Our institutional research focus is tightly aligned to our mission, with four thematic research priorities:

Social Renewal
Sustainability
Healthy Communities
Creativity and Culture

These priorities are pursued in a purposefully interdisciplinary way across 17 Units of Assessment (UoA) spanning 4 REF main panels, ensuring a strong link between our research and teaching while addressing issues of global relevance with meaningful impact locally, nationally, and globally.

Learn about REF 2021

Our Faculties

Our four Faculties work across the disciplinary boundaries of their fields in a naturally, interdisciplinary way.

Life and Health Science
Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment
the Ulster Business School
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

We have worked hard to maintain their sustainability and vitality bringing some disciplines closer together with each other and with industry and external partners to allow for greater scalability and impact.

This inclusive and collaborative approach has driven our suite of new research and innovation projects as part of the new City and Growth Deals in Northern Ireland.

Our Institution

As an institution, we enable and facilitate impact through our partnership approach.

Our pioneering innovative technologies and solutions support some of the biggest global challenges, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, mental health, access to clean water, renewable energy, increasing crop demand, access to justice, emerging technologies and a range of societal issues such as free legal access, abuse, fragility, violence, and conflict.

In both teaching and research, our strength lies in our partnerships with business and industry and knowledge transfer between them.

“This superb outcome for Ulster University confidently builds on our 2014 outcomes and demonstrates the depth and breadth of our research in diverse disciplines. The emphasis we place on research with impact is fundamental to the purpose of the University, our research community and our many partners in other universities and sectors, so I’m delighted that this has been recognised through this process.”

Professor Paul Bartholomew

Vice-Chancellor

REF 2021 Results

Scroll Right to see all our 2021 Results

REF 2021 Results
UoA	Unit of Assessment Title	Type	Category A Staff Submitted*	4 Star %	3 Star %	2 Star %	1 Star %	Unclassified
3	Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy	Overall	140.08	42	46	11	1	0
		Outputs		22.6	60	16.5	0.9	0
		Impact		55.6	38.8	5.6	0	0
		Environment		100	0	0	0	0
4	Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience	Overall	31.40	31	43	24	2	0
		Outputs		8.9	48.1	39.2	3.8	0
		Impact		66.7	33.3	0	0	0
		Environment		62.5	37.5	0	0	0
11	Computer Science and Informatics	Overall	69.60	20	72	8	0	0
		Outputs		9.8	76.4	13.8	0	0
		Impact		41.7	58.3	0	0	0
		Environment		25	75	0	0	0
12	Engineering	Overall	39.60	35	59	6	0	0
		Outputs		26.3	63.6	10.1	0	0
		Impact		62.5	37.5	0	0	0
		Environment		25	75	0	0	0
13	Architecture, Built Environment and Planning	Overall	52.80	42	49	6	3	0
		Outputs		34.1	51.5	9.1	5.3	0
		Impact		40	60	0	0	0
		Environment		75	25	0	0	0
14	Geography and Environmental Studies	Overall	19.60	28	60	12	0	0
		Outputs		26.5	57.2	16.3	0	0
		Impact		50	50	0	0	0
		Environment		0	87.5	12.5	0	0
17	Business and Management Studies	Overall	34.40	31	59	10	0	0
		Outputs		34.9	51.1	14	0	0
		Impact		33.3	66.7	0	0	0
		Environment		12.5	75	12.5	0	0
18	Law	Overall	14.70	46	36	18	0	0
		Outputs		45.9	35.2	18.9	0	0
		Impact		50	25	25	0	0
		Environment		37.5	62.5	0	0	0
20	Social Work and Social Policy	Overall	28.80	41	51	7	0	1
		Outputs		27.8	58.3	12.5	0	1.4
		Impact		66.7	33.3	0	0	0
		Environment		50	50	0	0	0
23	Education	Overall	11.20	32	51	15	2	0
		Outputs		28.6	46.4	21.4	3.6	0
		Impact		50	50	0	0	0
		Environment		12.5	75	12.5	0	0
24	Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism	Overall	19.20	28	61	11	0	0
		Outputs		18.8	62.5	18.7	0	0
		Impact		50	50	0	0	0
		Environment		25	75	0	0	0
26	Modern Languages and Linguistics	Overall	16.20	23	56	20	1	0
		Outputs		12.2	56.1	29.3	2.4	0
		Impact		50	50	0	0	0
		Environment		22.5	62.5	15	0	0
27	English Language and Literature	Overall	12.00	28	52	18	2	0
		Outputs		26.7	53.3	16.7	3.3	0
		Impact		25	50	25	0	0
		Environment		37.5	50	12.5	0	0
28	History	Overall	9.00	23	44	33	0	0
		Outputs		30.4	30.5	39.1	0	0
		Impact		0	75	25	0	0
		Environment		35	40	25	0	0
32	Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory	Overall	31.19	45	38	14	3	0
		Outputs		29.5	42.3	23.1	5.1	0
		Impact		66.7	33.3	0	0	0
		Environment		72.5	27.5	0	0	0
33	Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies	Overall	15.80	41	32	20	7	0
		Outputs		17.5	37.5	32.5	12.5	0
		Impact		100	0	0	0	0
		Environment		35	65	0	0	0
34	Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management	Overall	12.70	21	56	23	0	0
		Outputs		31.3	37.5	31.2	0	0
		Impact		0	100	0	0	0
		Environment		12.5	60	27.5	0	0

*Category A Staff Submitted reflects Full-time Equivalent.

Star Rating Definitions

The REF 2021 Results Table captures the overall quality profile, namely percentage of research activity at each quality level.

4 star - Quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
3 star - Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which falls short of the highest standards of excellence.
2 star - Quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
1 star - Quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
Unclassified - Quality that 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.

“At Ulster University we are committed to creating an environment which supports, promotes and enables research excellence.

Over 96% of our research environment has been assessed as conducive to producing research of world-leading and internationally excellent quality and empowering outstanding impact.

This entirely reflects the quality, commitment, and leadership of our research community, our investment in research, our worldwide contribution, and the strength of our partnerships and collaborations.”