REF2021

Glasgow Caledonian University: REF2021 Summary

The periodic research assessment exercise, the Research Excellence Framework (REF), is used to benchmark research and allocate research funds to universities under the dual support system. In REF2021, research was assessed with respect to the quality of outputs, impact and research environment. In the lead up to submission GCU identified staff with ‘Significant Responsibility for Research’ and, from that, those staff which met the criteria to be classified as ‘Independent Researchers’. Each Higher Education Institution intending to submit to the REF was required to agree with the funders a Code of Practice for how to identify eligible staff. GCU’s approved Code of Practice was developed through consultation with GCU staff.

In May 2022 the REF results for 2014-2020 were reported. GCU submitted to nine units of assessment (UoAs) with a sizeable increase of 38% in the number of researchers included compared with REF2014. The work of 230 staff was reviewed by independent expert panels, alongside information on the University’s research environment and how it supports and develops researchers. The submissions from GCU included over 500 research articles, book chapters and monographs, and 26 case studies showing how internationally recognised research at GCU had delivered real-world impact. Over the period being reviewed, 445 research students had achieved their doctoral degrees and University competitive research income topped £40million.

72% of our University research activity was rated as world leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*), meaning GCU was unsurpassed amongst the Scottish post-92 universities for the proportion of our research being at that level (3*/4*).

In terms of world-leading research (4*), 27% of activity at GCU was assessed as being of this quality.

GCU’s overall research quality as described by the Times Higher Education increased from a grade point average (GPA) of 2.67 in REF2014 to 2.95.

Seven of the nine units of assessment submitted by GCU increased the proportion of activity deemed to be world leading or internationally excellent since the last REF exercise in 2014.

REF2021 results are summarised in the table below.

UoA3 Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

91% of the University’s health research has been formally classified as world leading or internationally excellent (REF2021)
The outstanding impact of our health research only surpassed by King’s College London (REF2021)
GCU’s nursing and allied health research moved up 26 places to joint 14th in the UK and third in Scotland based on GPA (according to analysis of the REF2021 results published by Times Higher Education).

UoA11 Computer Science and Informatics

97% of computer science and informatics outputs rated as internationally excellent or internationally recognised (REF2021)

UoA12 Engineering

95% of engineering outputs rated as internationally excellent or internationally recognised (REF2021)

UoA13 Architecture, Built Environment and Planning

76% of our built environment research has been rated as world leading or internationally excellent (REF2021)

UoA17 Business and Management Studies

Two-thirds of research impact for business and management studies rated as outstanding or very considerable (REF2021)
Business and management research moved up 10 places to equal 74th in the UK (Times Higher Education).

UoA20 Social Work and Social Policy

75% of the research environment and 74% of our research outputs in social work and social policy are world leading or internationally excellent (REF2021)
Our social work and social policy research ranked seventh in Scotland (THE).

UoA23 Education

75% of research in Education considered as having a very considerable impact

UoA28 History

History research assessed as having outstanding impact, with 50% meeting the highest level of quality in the REF2021 exercise (REF2021)

UoA34 Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management

Communications, culture and media research is joint first in Scotland for outstanding impact (Times Higher Education)
Communications, culture and media research ranked fourth in Scotland based on GPA (Times Higher Education)
100% of our communications, culture and media research IMPACT is world leading or internationally excellent
73% of communications-related research rated as world leading or internationally excellent.

REF2021 results across nine units of assessment

Unit of assessment name	Profile	FTE staff	GPA - source THE’22	% activity rated at each level
Unit of assessment name	Profile	FTE staff	GPA - source THE’22	4*	3*	2*	1*	U
Allied Health Professions, Nursing (UoA3)^{^[1]}	Overall	89.57	3.41	51	40	8	1	0
	Outputs			37.1	48.2	12.9	1.8	0
	Impact			85.7	14.3	0	0	0
	Environment			50	50	0	0	0
Computer Science and Informatics (UoA11)	Overall	14	2.42	2	47	42	9	0
	Outputs			2.9	57.1	37.1	2.9	0
	Impact			0	50	50	0	0
	Environment			0	0	50	50	0
Engineering (UoA12)	Overall	28	2.33	1	47	36	16	0
	Outputs			1.4	71.5	22.8	4.3	0
	Impact			0	16.7	66.6	16.7	0
	Environment			0	0	37.5	62.5	0
Architecture, Built Environment and Planning (UoA13)	Overall	24.8	2.89	15	61	22	2	0
	Outputs			24.2	53.2	19.4	3.2	0
	Impact			0	66.7	33.3	0	0
	Environment			0	87.5	12.5	0	0
Business and Management Studies (UoA17)	Overall	23.4	2.67	16	39	41	4	0
	Outputs			5.1	52.5	35.6	6.8	0
	Impact			50	16.7	33.3	0	0
	Environment			0	25	75	0	0
Social Work and Social Policy (UoA20)	Overall	18.5	2.79	12	56	31	1	0
	Outputs			19.6	54.3	23.9	2.2	0
	Impact			0	50	50	0	0
	Environment			0	75	25	0	0
Education (UoA23)	Overall	5.1	2.22	0	42	38	20	0
	Outputs			0	38.5	58.3	7.7	0
	Impact			0	75	25	0	0
	Environment			0	0	0	100	0
History (UoA28)	Overall	5	2.33	17	28	38	5	12
	Outputs			7.7	38.5	46.1	7.7	0
	Impact			50	0	0	0	50
	Environment			0	35	65	0	0
Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management (UoA34)	Overall	8.4	3.00	27	46	27	0	0
	Outputs			23.8	42.9	33.3	0	0
	Impact			50	50	0	0	0
	Environment			0	52.5	47.5	0	0

^[1]Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy