More than a third of research produced at Liverpool Hope University has been rated as world leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) by the national 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF). 55% of permanent academic staff were entered into the exercise.
Every university in the country is assessed on research Outputs, Impact and Environment and is given an Overall Quality profile.
34% of research conducted at Liverpool Hope University was ranked Overall as world leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*). In terms of Research Outputs alone, 44% of work submitted by Liverpool Hope for the 2014 REF was ranked as world leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*).
English, Music, Theology, History and Education have all made significant gains in terms of world leading (4*) and internationally excellent (3*) research. 32% of Research Outputs from the Department of English were rated as world leading (4*).
Research within the Faculty of Education was rated as world leading (4*) in its Impact and 53% of its research was given an Overall rating of 3* and above. 74% of Research Outputs from the department of Social Work and Social Policy were rated as internationally excellent (3*) or above, making it 12th in the country.
A number of pieces of work submitted by Sport and Exercise Sciences and Psychology were also rated as world leading (4*) and work submitted by Computer Science and Informatics was rated as internationally excellent (3*).
Liverpool Hope University submitted work in 12 Units of Assessment in the Research Excellence Framework (see note for list of subjects). Of these 12 units, eight included world leading research (4*).
Vice Chancellor & Rector of Liverpool Hope University Professor Gerald Pillay said: “All 12 subjects entered into REF were recognised as being of international excellence or world leading, which is encouraging not just for Liverpool Hope University, but for the city and the region. We are attracting the best researchers from around the world, and their work is making an impact locally, nationally and internationally. These results also justify our sustained investment in facilities and in scholarship. We are especially proud that a number of subjects have triumphed in the Impact category.
“We were given our research degree awarding powers in 2009, a year after the last Research Assessment Exercise. Since then, we have committed ourselves to continually raising the bar for research. It shows how far the University has come in a very short time.
“We recently joined the Growth by Research Campaign, which calls on the government to take a more balanced approach to research investment and ensure that all research that has been judged to be excellent is funded, wherever it occurs. Our REF results are testament to the fact that research investment should not depend on the size of the institution but on the quality of work being done.”
Professor Atulya Nagar, Dean of Science at Liverpool Hope and Chair of Liverpool Hope’s REF 2014 Steering Committee added: “These results have made a huge difference to our profile. We have gone from being recognised as an institution that produces internationally significant work to one that produces internationally excellent work.”
Liverpool Hope submitted work in the twelve subject areas of:
Theology and Religious Studies, History, English Language and Literature, Dance, Drama and Performing Arts, Music, Politics and International Studies, Education, Computer Science and Informatics, Social Work and Social Policy , Geography and Environmental Studies, Sport and Exercise Sciences, Psychology.
Our academics talk about the impact of their research (video)