Aerial images taken of UEA

Our Research Excellence Framework Results

REF21

What is the REF?

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a process of expert review of research excellence which assesses the research output, quality and impact of UK higher education institutions across the spectrum of academic subjects.

There is an expert review panel for each of the 34 subject-based units of assessment (UoAs). Panel membership comprises senior academics, international members, and research users. These panels classify research as: world-leading, internationally excellent, internationally significant or nationally significant. The results of the REF inform the allocation of about £2 billion of public research funding to higher education institutions.

UEA’s submission to REF2021 included 1,836 outputs from 793 researchers, along with 73 impact case studies and 23 environment statements along with information about our research environment, grants and post graduate degree completions.

UEA’s Top 20 Results

The results of the exercise were announced in May 2022 and confirm UEA’s position as a Top 20 research-intensive university:

1^st

for Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Sciences

Times Higher Education Rankings for the Research Excellence Framework 2021

1^st

for Development Studies (2nd Anthropology and Development Studies UOA overall)

Times Higher Education Rankings for the Research Excellence Framework 2021

3^rd

for History

Times Higher Education Rankings for the Research Excellence Framework 2021

4^th

overall for research quality in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences

Times Higher Education Rankings for the Research Excellence Framework 2021

4^th

for overall research quality in Social Work and Social Policy

Times Higher REF Analysis 2021

5^th

for Area Studies

Times Higher Education Rankings for the Research Excellence Framework 2021

UEA had top 20 rankings for Art and Design: History, Practice & Theory (13th); Business & Management Studies (14th); Politics & International Studies (14th); Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience (14th); Public Health, Health Services & Primary Care (15th); Economics & Econometrics (16th); Communications, Cultural & Media Studies (16th); Biological Sciences (17th); English Language & Literature (19th); and Clinical Medicine (20th).

The full results and more information about the REF are available via the official REF 2021 website. Some key results for the University of East Anglia are included here.

REF2021 has been an enormous, collaborative effort and we are grateful to the hundreds of academic and support staff involved. We’re incredibly proud of our REF2021 submission. See our groundbreaking research for yourself in this video:

Some of our 73 impact case studies submitted to REF21 are available to see in more detail.

See our REF21 impact

Measure

Notes:

For each submission, three distinct elements are assessed: the quality of outputs (e.g. publications, performances, and exhibitions), their impact beyond academia, and the environment that supports research. The process assesses whether the research submitted is: 4* - world-leading; 3* - internationally excellent; 2* - of international quality; 1* - of national quality. From these results we are able to calculate a Grade Point Average (GPA), both institutionally and for each UoA. The GPA is the average of scores across 4*, 3*, 2* and 1*.

Specialist institutions which have submitted to only 1 or 2 UoAs (eg The Institute of Cancer Research and Courtauld Institute of Art) have not been included in this data.

Rankings from the Times Higher Education analysis.

Overall UEA REF21 Results

	Unit of Assessment (UoA)		FTE Staff Submitted		4*		3*		2*		1*		u/c*		GPA		Ranking in UoA
	1 - Clinical Medicine		30.60		36		56		7		0		1		3.26		20
	2 - Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care		18.60		43		51		6		0		0		3.37		15
	3 - Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy		47.37		44		46		10		0		0		3.34		23
	4 - Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience		30.70		49		47		4		0		0		3.45		14
	5 - Biological Sciences		73.40		44		48		8		0		0		3.36		17
	6 - Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Science		19.40		61		34		4		1		0		3.55		1
	7 - Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences		65.43		67		27		6		0		0		3.61		4
	8 - Chemistry		34.20		41		52		7		0		0		3.34		23
	10 - Mathematical Sciences		19.27		28		66		6		0		0		3.22		34
	11 - Computer Science and Informatics		28.30		25		61		8		0		0		3.17		36
	16 - Economics and Econometrics		28.20		31		61		8		0		0		3.23		16
	17 - Business and Management Studies		57.80		46		47		7		0		0		3.39		14
	18 - Law		23.40		22		42		36		0		0		2.86		43
	19 - Politics and International Studies		18.60		45		45		9		1		0		3.34		14
	20 - Social Work and Social Policy		8.90		63		27		10		0		0		3.53		4
	22 - Anthropology and Development Studies		32.20		64		27		9		0		0		3.55		2*
	23 - Education		15.20		30		45		22		3		0		3.02		30
	25 - Area Studies		42.00		53		40		6		1		0		3.45		5
	27 - English Language and Literature		48.00		59		32		8		1		0		3.49		19
	28 - History		39.70		59		34		7		0		0		3.52		3
	30 - Philosophy		10.20		27		45		28		0		0		2.99		24
	32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory		18.80		58		36		6		0		0		3.52		13
	34 - Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management		21.80		36		57		7		0		0		3.29		16

*Overall quality profile from level four star to unclassified (percentage of research activity at each quality level). Top ranking submission in Development Studies, first placed submission in this UOA was identified as Anthropology only.

For a breakdown of each UoA’s results by assessment element (outputs, impact, environment) please see the REF21 Results Website.