The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) published the results of its Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 on 18 December 2014. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the method for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs) held approximately every six years.
Reading ranked 3rd of 45 submissions in Earth System & Environmental Sciences (UoA7) in terms of ‘research power’, placing Reading higher than Southampton, UEA, Cambridge, Lancaster, Oxford and UCL. The submission comprised staff primarily from Meteorology plus 15 staff from Geography & Environmental Science (two-thirds of our department).
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Expert peer review has confirmed 79% of the research outputs as scoring in the world-leading and internationally excellent categories. In addition, scores well above the sector means were achieved for research impact (51% at 4*) and research environment (60% at 4*). All impact case studies were ranked as world-leading or internationally excellent.
One-third of our department was submitted in Geography (UoA17b). Based on research power, Reading Geography ranked close to the mid-point of 74 submissions. 47% of research outputs were graded as internationally excellent and 10% world-leading.