REF2021 results

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a government assessment of our research, overseen by Research England. It assesses the quality of UK research in universities, providing accountability for public funding for research and informing future funding allocation of £1 billion per year nationally.

The REF2021 results are now published by the four UK higher education funding bodies. The table below summarizes our overall performance and the following links showcase some of the great work that has been produced, celebrating the range of impacts the University’s researchers have on society, the economy, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment and quality of life, beyond academia.

UCLan’s full results can be found on the REF2021 Results Pages. and you can find out more about our impact case studies on our research pages. Full submissions are also published on the REF Results website.

UCLan’s REF2021 overall performance

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	4*	3*	2*	1*
Overall	18	48	30	4
Output	16	49	30	4
Impact	30	42	26	2
Environment	8	53	35	5

Key:

4*: Quality that is world-leading
3*: Quality that is internationally excellent
2*: Quality that is recognised internationally
1*: Quality that is recognised nationally

UCLan’s REF2021 success stories

All 19 academic areas submitted to REF by UCLan have been officially recognised as demonstrating elements of world-leading and internationally excellent research. In comparison to the University’s last REF submission in 2014 the results highlight a doubling of world-leading research produced by UCLan academics and a doubling of how it has made a difference in the real world.

66% of the University’s submissions have been classified as world-leading or internationally excellent. 72% of the University’s submissions have been classified as having outstanding or very considerable impact in terms of its reach and significance (in the top 4-star and 3-star categories). Disciplines with the best impact ratings include: Modern Languages and Linguistics; Social Work and Social Policy; Physics; Business and Management Studies; Art and Design; Philosophy; History; Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies.

UCLan’s Impact Case Studies

UCLan submitted 50 Impact Case Studies to REF2021 across 19 UOAs. Follow the links below which showcase the diversity of UCLan’s research impact. The full REF2021 impact case study database is now published and can be found here.

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UOA3: Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy
3.1	Changing the way follow-up services are delivered to benefit cancer survivors
3.2	Influencing Change in UNICEF’s Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative in the UK and World-wide
3.3	Tackling the global challenge of hidden hunger
3.4	The Public Psychiatric Emergency Assessment Tool (PPEAT): Transforming police responses to people displaying mental distress or disorder
3.5	Towards a universal positive childbirth experience: Changing the focus of World Health Organisation Global Maternity Guidelines, and associated impacts
3.6	Transforming emergency and hyperacute response to stroke in order to save lives and reduce disability
3.7	Transforming the assessment and management of stroke survivors’ psychological and emotional needs to improve recovery
UOA4: Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience
4.1	Changing mental health care to improve wellbeing in people with cystic fibrosis and their caregivers
4.2	Helping Police to Identify Offenders of Serious Crime using EvoFIT Facial Composites
4.3	Specialist Aggression Intervention Packages (SAIP): Developing evidence-based procedures for rehabilitation in prisons and other secure settings

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UOA9: Physics
9.1	From the Earth to the Sun and Beyond: astrophysics outreach and engagement through art, dance and storytelling
9.2	Transforming Perceptions of Astrophysics and Astronomy: the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute’s regional programmes of outreach and public engagement
UOA10: Mathematical Sciences
10.1	Building student resilience to counteract mathematical anxiety in Benin and the UK
10.2	Mathematics Engagement: Shapes, Space, and Superheroes
UOA11: Computer Science and Informatics
11.1	Giving children and young people a voice in the creation of mobile apps and games
11.2	Shaping Digital Industry Best Practice to Improve User-Experience for children
UOA12: Engineering
12.1	Business Collaboration: UCLan and Recycling Lives
12.2	Incorporating smoke toxicity into fire safety assessment
12.3	Making Tall Buildings Safe from Fire
12.4	Protecting people from toxic fire residues

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UOA15: Archaeology
15.1	Using archaeology to empower Native American and other communities in California
15.2	Enabling collaboration and education: inspiring communities through archaeological fieldwork in North-West England and North Wales
UOA17: Business and Management Studies
17.1	The Preston Model: Community Wealth Building driving wealth generation, community investment and national policy
17.2	Building networks to collaborate with small and medium-sized enterprises, students and regional government, creating mutual benefit and impact
UOA18: Law
18.1	Development, application and reform of the Criminal Law (including Hate Crime)
18.2	Improving Accessibility and Affordability of Medicines Through the Use of Intellectual Property (IP) Flexibilities
UOA20: Social Work and Social Policy
20.1	Healthy Universities: A Whole System Approach to Improving Health, Wellbeing and Sustainability in Higher Education
20.2	Participation of marginalised children and young people in social action and public decision-making
20.3	Preventing and Responding to Violence and Abuse in the Lives of Children and Young People
UOA24: Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism
24.1	Improvements in non-surgical treatments of orthopaedic conditions of the lower limb
24.2	Improving horse health, welfare and performance
24.3	Mega sports volunteerism and transforming lives through student peer leadership and mentoring
24.4	Football and War

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UOA25: Area Studies
25.1	Challenging Stereotyped Images of North Korea: Informing Policymakers and Public Understanding
25.2	Cultural artefacts as cultural ambassadors: working with Taiwanese Indigenous groups and museums to share, preserve and enhance cultural identity
UOA26: Modern Languages and Linguistics
26.1	Stories by, with, and for disadvantaged young people: collaborative literacies for social and personal change
26.2	Improving educational attainment and professional development of deaf children and youth in India, Ghana and Uganda through language and literacy education
UOA27: English Language and Literature
27.1	Institute for Black Atlantic Research (IBAR): Memorialising Slavery and Abolition for Black British and Other Audiences
27.2	Poetry, Grief and Healing: Working with bereaved people to achieve creative, literary and wellbeing benefits through poetry
UOA28: History
28.1	The Great Gift of Freedom: Working with the National Trust and the mountaineering community to understand, interpret and commemorate mountaineering heritage
28.2	Commemorating Peterloo 1819-2019
UOA30: Philosophy
30.1	Fair benefits for use of San communities’ Traditional Knowledge under the UN Convention on Biodiversity
30.2	Preventing Ethics Dumping with a Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings
UOA32: Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
32.1	Making Histories Visible
32.2	Café Royal Books: Preserving, promoting and making accessible, at-risk post-war photographic archives
32.3	Shaping Civic Space: Increasing cultural engagement and informing policy through temporary public art.
UOA33: Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies
33.1	Global Sound Movement: Working with communities around the world to preserve and share vulnerable music heritage
33.2	Woody Guthrie and ‘Old Man Trump’
UOA34: Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management
34.1	StoryLab: Developing Innovative Skills Training For Democratised Film Industries in Lower and Middle Income Countries and Marginalised Communities
34.2	A Life More Ordinary – Supporting and Empowering People Living with Dementia

Find out more

World-leading and international excellent credentials highlighted in 19 academic areas
Thursday 12 May 2022
Research
We have a growing and vibrant community of innovative academics who nurture our postgraduate students and early-career researchers, producing high quality international and world-leading research that addresses today’s challenges.
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