Research Excellence Framework 2021: delivering research impact - University of Plymouth
Source: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/ref2021
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:22
Research Excellence Framework 2021: delivering research impact - University of Plymouth
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REF2021
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Classification guide
Classification
Overall quality profile description
4*
World-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour
3*
Internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which nonetheless falls short of the highest standards of excellence
2*
Recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour
1*
Recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour
U/C Unclassified
Work not meeting published definition of research for the purposes of the REF or which falls below national standards
Results highlights
Overall, 78% of our submission was assessed as 4* (world-leading) or 3* (internationally excellent) – an improvement on the score of around 63% in the corresponding 2014 REF
Our grade point average improved from 2.73 to 3.02
Of the 16 Units of Assessment that can be compared directly to 2014, 13 saw the number of 4* scores increase, with the same number improving when you combine 4* and 3*
Eight Units of Assessment achieved 80% 4* or 3* scores – up from three in 2014
English Language and Literature saw 95% of its submission rated at 4* or 3*, and Architecture Built Environment and Planning, 94%
Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, which contains our award-winning marine and terrestrial sciences, also scored 94% for 4* and 3*.
Detailed results [on ref.ac.uk]
Science
Health
Arts, humanities and business
What is the REF?
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the system for assessing research in UK HEIs. It was first conducted in 2014, and replaced the previous Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). The REF is conducted jointly by Research England (RE), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE). The REF is managed by the REF team, based at RE, on behalf of the four UK HE funding bodies, and is overseen by the REF Steering Group, consisting of representatives of the four funding bodies.
The primary purpose of REF 2021 is to produce assessment outcomes for each submission made by institutions. The four HE funding bodies intend to use the assessment outcomes to inform the selective allocation of their grant for research to the institutions which they fund, with effect from 2022–23.
The assessment provides accountability for public investment in research and produces evidence of the benefits of this investment. The assessment outcomes provide benchmarking information and establish reputational yardsticks, for use within the HE sector and for public information.
The REF is a process of expert review, with discipline-based expert panels assessing submissions made by HEIs in 34 UOAs. A submission comprises a complete set of data about staff, outputs, impact and the environment returned by an HEI in any of the 34 UOAs.
The three key elements of the REF
Output
Makes up 60% of the assessment and consists of outputs produced by the University during the assessment period (1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020). They will be assessed for the quality in terms of their ‘originality, significance and rigour’, with reference to international research quality standards. The total number of outputs must equal 2.5 times the summed FTE of the unit’s submitted staff.
Environment
This makes up 15% of the assessment and describes the environment we have to support our research. This includes research strategy, staff development and support for PGRs, collaboration both inside and outside academia and equality and diversity. It also includes data on research income and post-graduate degrees awarded. This will be assessed in terms of its ‘vitality and sustainability’, including the approach to enabling impact from its research, and its contribution to the vitality and sustainability of the wider discipline or research base related to the period 1 August 2013 to 31 July 2020.
Impact
Makes up 25% of the assessment and consists of case studies detailing the benefits from our research. They will be will assessed for the ‘reach and significance’ of impacts on the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life that were underpinned by excellent research conducted in the submitted unit. The impact stays with the institution where the research was carried out, i.e. it does not move with the member of staff. Case studies describing specific examples of impacts achieved during the assessment period (1 August 2013 to 31 July 2020), underpinned by excellent research in the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2020.
Dr Abigail McQuatters-Gollop
Associate Professor of Marine Conservation
Professor Alison Raby
Professor in Environmental Fluid Mechanics
Professor Antonio Rago
Visiting Professor
Dr Carl Roobottom
Honorary Consultant - Radiology
Professor Deborah Greaves OBE FREng
Professor in Ocean Engineering
Professor Eduardo Miranda
Professor in Computer Music
Professor Gerd Masselink
Professor of Coastal Geomorphology
Dr Christopher Stokes
Senior Research Fellow (Impact)
Dr Timothy Poate
Senior Research Consultant
Dr Helen Lloyd
Associate Professor of Psychology
Professor Jackie Andrade
Professor in Psychology
Professor James Daybell
Associate Dean (Research)
Mr Jason Lowther
Associate Professor of Law
Professor Jennifer Freeman
Associate Head of School (Research)
Professor Jonathan Marsden
Professorship and Chair in Rehabilitation
Professor Jeremy Hobart
Professor
Professor Jon Shaw
Head of School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Dr Andrew Seedhouse
Director of Transport
Professor Judy Edworthy
Emeritus Professor
Dr Julian Stander
Associate Professor in Mathematics and Statistics
Dr John Eales
Deputy Head of School
Professor Katharine Willis
Professor of Smart Cities and Communities
Dr Kathryn Napier Gray
Associate Professor (Reader) in Early American Literature
Professor Kerry Howell
Professor of Deep-Sea Ecology
Dr Marie Bryce
Senior Research Fellow (CAMERA)
Professor Matthew Cramp
Chair in Hepatology
Professor Mike Phillips
Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts
Dr Miriam Darlington
Lecturer in English and Creative Writing
Dr Mona Nasser
Associate Professor of Evidence Based Dentistry
Professor Neil James
Emeritus Professor
Dr Phil Smith
Associate Professor (Reader)
Professor Phillip Buckhurst
Professor of Optometry
Dr Becky Stancer
Associate Professor, Early Childhood
Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS
Director of the Marine Institute
Professor Sheena Asthana
Director of Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research
Dr Alex Gibson
Senior Research Fellow
Dr Sian Rees
Associate Professor of Social-Ecological Systems (Research)
Dr Emma Sheehan
Associate Professor of Marine Ecology (Research)
Professor Tony Belpaeme
Visiting Professor
Professor Will Blake
Professor of Catchment Science
Professor Zoë James
Professor of Criminology
Dr Yinghui Wei
Associate Professor of Statistics
Professor Simon Rule
Professor in Haematology (Research)
Professor Sabine Pahl
Honorary Professor of Applied Social Psychology
Professor Steve Goodhew
Professor of Environmental Building and Discipline Leader
Professor Daniel Maudlin
Professor
Dr Paul Warwick
Associate Professor
Professor Michael Punt
Professor of Art and Technology
Professor Camille Parmesan
Director of Research, CNRS Station for Experimental and Theoretical Ecology
Previous
Next
Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW)
Research England
Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC)
Department for the Economy
Previous results
"
REF2014
Skip to content
<
REF2021
>
Classification guide
Classification
Overall quality profile description
4*
World-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour
3*
Internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which nonetheless falls short of the highest standards of excellence
2*
Recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour
1*
Recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour
U/C Unclassified
Work not meeting published definition of research for the purposes of the REF or which falls below national standards
Results highlights
Overall, 78% of our submission was assessed as 4* (world-leading) or 3* (internationally excellent) – an improvement on the score of around 63% in the corresponding 2014 REF
Our grade point average improved from 2.73 to 3.02
Of the 16 Units of Assessment that can be compared directly to 2014, 13 saw the number of 4* scores increase, with the same number improving when you combine 4* and 3*
Eight Units of Assessment achieved 80% 4* or 3* scores – up from three in 2014
English Language and Literature saw 95% of its submission rated at 4* or 3*, and Architecture Built Environment and Planning, 94%
Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, which contains our award-winning marine and terrestrial sciences, also scored 94% for 4* and 3*.
Detailed results [on ref.ac.uk]
Science
Health
Arts, humanities and business
What is the REF?
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the system for assessing research in UK HEIs. It was first conducted in 2014, and replaced the previous Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). The REF is conducted jointly by Research England (RE), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE). The REF is managed by the REF team, based at RE, on behalf of the four UK HE funding bodies, and is overseen by the REF Steering Group, consisting of representatives of the four funding bodies.
The primary purpose of REF 2021 is to produce assessment outcomes for each submission made by institutions. The four HE funding bodies intend to use the assessment outcomes to inform the selective allocation of their grant for research to the institutions which they fund, with effect from 2022–23.
The assessment provides accountability for public investment in research and produces evidence of the benefits of this investment. The assessment outcomes provide benchmarking information and establish reputational yardsticks, for use within the HE sector and for public information.
The REF is a process of expert review, with discipline-based expert panels assessing submissions made by HEIs in 34 UOAs. A submission comprises a complete set of data about staff, outputs, impact and the environment returned by an HEI in any of the 34 UOAs.
The three key elements of the REF
Output
Makes up 60% of the assessment and consists of outputs produced by the University during the assessment period (1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020). They will be assessed for the quality in terms of their ‘originality, significance and rigour’, with reference to international research quality standards. The total number of outputs must equal 2.5 times the summed FTE of the unit’s submitted staff.
Environment
This makes up 15% of the assessment and describes the environment we have to support our research. This includes research strategy, staff development and support for PGRs, collaboration both inside and outside academia and equality and diversity. It also includes data on research income and post-graduate degrees awarded. This will be assessed in terms of its ‘vitality and sustainability’, including the approach to enabling impact from its research, and its contribution to the vitality and sustainability of the wider discipline or research base related to the period 1 August 2013 to 31 July 2020.
Impact
Makes up 25% of the assessment and consists of case studies detailing the benefits from our research. They will be will assessed for the ‘reach and significance’ of impacts on the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life that were underpinned by excellent research conducted in the submitted unit. The impact stays with the institution where the research was carried out, i.e. it does not move with the member of staff. Case studies describing specific examples of impacts achieved during the assessment period (1 August 2013 to 31 July 2020), underpinned by excellent research in the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2020.
Dr Abigail McQuatters-Gollop
Associate Professor of Marine Conservation
Professor Alison Raby
Professor in Environmental Fluid Mechanics
Professor Antonio Rago
Visiting Professor
Dr Carl Roobottom
Honorary Consultant - Radiology
Professor Deborah Greaves OBE FREng
Professor in Ocean Engineering
Professor Eduardo Miranda
Professor in Computer Music
Professor Gerd Masselink
Professor of Coastal Geomorphology
Dr Christopher Stokes
Senior Research Fellow (Impact)
Dr Timothy Poate
Senior Research Consultant
Dr Helen Lloyd
Associate Professor of Psychology
Professor Jackie Andrade
Professor in Psychology
Professor James Daybell
Associate Dean (Research)
Mr Jason Lowther
Associate Professor of Law
Professor Jennifer Freeman
Associate Head of School (Research)
Professor Jonathan Marsden
Professorship and Chair in Rehabilitation
Professor Jeremy Hobart
Professor
Professor Jon Shaw
Head of School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Dr Andrew Seedhouse
Director of Transport
Professor Judy Edworthy
Emeritus Professor
Dr Julian Stander
Associate Professor in Mathematics and Statistics
Dr John Eales
Deputy Head of School
Professor Katharine Willis
Professor of Smart Cities and Communities
Dr Kathryn Napier Gray
Associate Professor (Reader) in Early American Literature
Professor Kerry Howell
Professor of Deep-Sea Ecology
Dr Marie Bryce
Senior Research Fellow (CAMERA)
Professor Matthew Cramp
Chair in Hepatology
Professor Mike Phillips
Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts
Dr Miriam Darlington
Lecturer in English and Creative Writing
Dr Mona Nasser
Associate Professor of Evidence Based Dentistry
Professor Neil James
Emeritus Professor
Dr Phil Smith
Associate Professor (Reader)
Professor Phillip Buckhurst
Professor of Optometry
Dr Becky Stancer
Associate Professor, Early Childhood
Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS
Director of the Marine Institute
Professor Sheena Asthana
Director of Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research
Dr Alex Gibson
Senior Research Fellow
Dr Sian Rees
Associate Professor of Social-Ecological Systems (Research)
Dr Emma Sheehan
Associate Professor of Marine Ecology (Research)
Professor Tony Belpaeme
Visiting Professor
Professor Will Blake
Professor of Catchment Science
Professor Zoë James
Professor of Criminology
Dr Yinghui Wei
Associate Professor of Statistics
Professor Simon Rule
Professor in Haematology (Research)
Professor Sabine Pahl
Honorary Professor of Applied Social Psychology
Professor Steve Goodhew
Professor of Environmental Building and Discipline Leader
Professor Daniel Maudlin
Professor
Dr Paul Warwick
Associate Professor
Professor Michael Punt
Professor of Art and Technology
Professor Camille Parmesan
Director of Research, CNRS Station for Experimental and Theoretical Ecology
Previous
Next
Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW)
Research England
Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC)
Department for the Economy
Previous results
"
REF2014