Birkbeck’s research impact highlighted
HEFCE publishes database of 2014 REF impact case studies
The breadth and reach of research at Birkbeck, University of London, has been highlighted with the publication this week of all the ‘impact’ case studies submitted to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) in December 2014.
The UK-wide database of impact case studies has been published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, alongside an analysis and evaluation of the impact element of the REF, a six-yearly assessment of the quality of research in UK higher education.
The 2014 REF required institutions to showcase the impact of their research beyond academia, using case studies and a description of the research environment at each institution. The REF outcomes are being used to inform how much research funding will be allocated to each higher education institution.
Birkbeck’s submission to the 2014 REF covered 14 subject areas and involved more than 80% of its academic staff. Some 73% of its research was found to be ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, up from 56% in the last such assessment in 2008, while 50% of Birkbeck’s submissions were ranked in the UK top 20. The College was ranked 30th in the UK for research intensity following the 2014 REF.
Science success
The College’s science submissions performed particularly well, with Psychological Sciences rated 5th in the UK and the College’s two joint submissions with UCL – Earth Systems & Environmental Sciences, and Biological Sciences – rated 6th and 11th respectively. Birkbeck’s outstanding subjects in the Times Higher Education’s ‘research-intensity’ league tables include Law, ranked 6th overall (putting it among the top 10 law schools alongside the LSE, UCL, Oxford and Cambridge) and History, ranked 7th.
Professor Stephen Frosh, Birkbeck’s Pro-Vice-Master for Research, said: “This database reveals the broad scope of research at Birkbeck and shows how closely our research relates to many aspects of our everyday lives, from arts, history and culture, through politics, society and the law, to science and biomedicine and work and the economy.
“Birkbeck is a research-intensive institution with international standing, and we are pleased that our allocation of research funding for 2015-16, which takes into account our strong performance in the 2014 REF, recognises the amount of 4*, or highest-ranked, research taking place in the College. Maintaining the level of research income received by the College is crucial for the continued fulfilment of our mission to produce top-quality research across all our disciplines.”