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Research Excellence Framework

The University of Birmingham’s world-leading research tackles some of the greatest challenges facing humanity and helps to improve the lives of people everywhere.

The latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021, published May 2022) confirms that we are one of the best universities in the UK. The REF results are an outstanding vote of confidence in the quality of our research and our contribution to society, bolstering our ambition to become a Top 50 Global University.

Our REF 2021 results

  • Ranked 10th in Russell Group and 13th in UK for Grade Point Average (up from 39th in 2014)
  • Ranked equal 10th in the Russell Group and equal 13th in the UK for 4* research (THE)
  • Ranked 12th overall in the UK for Research Power (up from 14th in 2014)
  • More than 50% of research recognised as 4*
  • Largest rise in the Russell Group on percentage 4* and GPA (grade point average)
  • Nine subjects ranked in the UK Top 5 for 4* (individual subject rank displayed in brackets): Physics (1), Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences (2), Computer Science and informatics (3), Philosophy (3), Theology and Religious Studies (3), Area Studies (3), Education (4), Sport and exercise sciences, leisure and tourism (5), Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care (5)
  • 15 subjects ranked in the top 10 for 4*: Those above plus Anthropology and Development Studies (7) Classics (8), Art and design: history, practice and theory (9), Social Work and Social Policy (9), Law (9), Engineering (10)

Discover more about the University's REF 2021 results, showing the quality profiles for each of our 28 submissions.

Overall quality profiles (percentage of research activity at each quality level and overall GPA)

Unit of Assessment FTE Category A staff 4* 3* 2* 1* U/C
1) Clinical Medicine  224  49.0%  43.0%  7.0%  0.0%  1.0%
2) Public Health, Health Services and Primary  46 65.0%  32.0%  2.0%  0.0%  1.0% 
3) Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy  45.3 42.0%  52.0%  6.0%  0.0%  0.0% 
4) Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience 55.4  54.0%  40.0%  6.0%  0.0%   0.0%
5) Biological Sciences 60.8 45.0%  48.0%  7.0%  0.0%  0.0% 
7) Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences 30.8  67.0%  31.0%  1.0%  0.0%  1.0% 
8) Chemistry 30.8  41.0%  50.0%  9.0%  0.0% 0.0%
9) Physics 55.2  66.0%  29.0%  5.0%  0.0% 0.0%
10) Mathematical Sciences 57.2  45.0%  55.0%  0.0%  0.0% 0.0%
11) Computer Science and Informatics 42.7  77.0%  23.0%  0.0%  0.0% 0.0%
12) Engineering 143.25  53.0%  43.0%  4.0%  0.0% 0.0%
14) Geography and Environmental Studies 40.2  35.0%  57.0%  8.0%  0.0% 0.0%
17) Business and Management Studies 141.15  45.0%  41.0%  13.0%  1.0%  0.0% 
18) Law 45.2  53.0%  34.0%  13.0%  0.0%  0.0% 
19) Politics and International Studies  49  41.0%  42.0%  16.0%  1.0%  0.0% 
20) Social Work and Social Policy  46.4  50.0%  44.0%  5.0%  0.0%  1.0% 
22) Anthropology and Development Studies  16  45.0%  40.0%  15.0%  0.0%  0.0% 
23) Education  34.44  63.0%  30.0%  6.0%  1.0%  0.0% 
24) Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism  45.2  65.0%  33.0%  2.0%  0.0%  0.0% 
25) Area Studies 7  56.0%  44.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0% 
26) Modern Languages and Linguistics  34.5  45.0%  39.0%  16.0%  0.0%  0.0% 
27) English Language and Literature  74.7  60.0%  35.0%  5.0%  0.0%  0.0% 
28) History 43.2  49.0%  45.0%  6.0%  0.0%  0.0% 
29) Classics 18.7  45.0%  37.0%  15.0%  3.0%  0.0% 
30) Philosophy 17  56.0%  40.0%  3.0%  0.0% 1.0%
31) Theology and Religious Studies  19.9  60.0%  29.0%  11.0%  0.0%  0.0%  
32) Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory  10  62.0%  33.0%  5.0%  0.0%  0.0%  
33) Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies  26.6  38.0%  49.0%  10.0%  2.0%  1.0% 

The University of Birmingham’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adam Tickell, says: ‘This was a tremendous result and reflects many years of hard work by outstanding researchers working at the forefront of their disciplines. But the most important thing is not the ranking itself but the confirmation that we are collectively engaged in world-leading work that has a genuine impact on people’s lives.

‘Our REF results highlight the strong partnerships we have, including with industry and the health, education, and cultural sectors. It is not enough to simply undertake high quality research, it is only through working in partnership with others in our region and across the world that we can deliver solutions to improve people’s lives, society and our planet.’

I am extremely proud that the quality and significance of our research and its wider impact were recognised by the assessment panels. Our credo over a number of years now has been to produce ‘research that matters’, whether that means breakthroughs in discovery science and philosophical enquiry that change the way people think, or innovations across the full range of our disciplines that transform the way people and institutions act. Excellent results in the REF derive from our pursuit of a larger goal: that is, for our research, in partnership with diverse people and organisations, to make the world a better place for individuals, society, and the environment.

Hugh Adlington
Professor of English Literature

What is REF?

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a national assessment which is carried out by the UK’s four higher education funding organisations every seven years to evaluate the standard and broader impact of research in the country’s higher education institutions.

It helps to maintain quality and world-class research across the breadth of the UK’s universities and assesses the impact of this multi-disciplinary work, informing accountability and future funding and public investment.

The most recent REF results were delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why it was branded REF21.

A total of 157 UK higher education institutions (HEIs) made submissions in 34 subject-based Units of Assessment (UOAs). The submissions were assessed by panels of experts, including international researchers skilled in interdisciplinary collaboration, who produced an overall quality profile for each submission. Each profile shows the proportion of research activity judged by the panels to have met each of the four-starred quality levels in steps of 1%.

Three key areas were scrutinised: output, impact and environment, alongside an assessment of the overall standard of the institution.

60 per cent of the weighting was given to the output
25 per cent was given to its significance
15 per cent covered sustainability

The panel assessed the overall research excellence and graded outputs from the top 4 * to unclassified.

4* = Quality classed as world-leading in originality, significance and rigour.

3* = Quality classed as internationally excellent in originality, significance and rigour but falling short of the highest standards of excellence.

2* = Quality classed as international in originality, significance and rigour.

1* = Quality classed as national in originality, significance and rigour.

Unclassified = Quality below the standard of nationally recognised; or work ineligible for the REF.

Game-changing impact

The REF results also recognise the game-changing impact that the University’s research has on global health challenges: tackling inequalities, driving innovation with industry and manufacturing, and addressing major issues such as climate change.