Research | Queen's University Belfast Share Email Research Our Research Research Themes Case Studies Our Impact REF 2021 Research portal Our People Global Research Institutes Governance, ethics and integrity Support for researchers News and Media Research contacts Fellowships at Queen's Research We're committed to making a meaningful impact on the world Researchers at Queen's help tackle the global challenges of our age, changing people’s lives for the better. We are a world-class international university built on teaching excellence, leading-edge research, innovation, collaboration and engagement. Queen’s has a proud history of conducting innovative, impactful and world-leading research that has positively changed people’s lives. Our ambition for 2030 is to further enhance our impact by strengthening our research position and working with industry to broaden our translational impact and innovation, ensuring we deliver high-quality, world-leading research, which addresses local and global challenges. st in the UK for Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Sciences th in the UK for Health and Biomedical Sciences th in the UK for Law 99 of our research environment was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent. * All stats taken from the latest REF 2021 results published on 12/05/2022. View our REF 2021 results Research News Queen’s researcher first in UK to win international award 23 April 2026 New all-island radiotherapy trial aims to reduce prostate cancer treatment side effects 22 April 2026 First UK study to map higher radon levels with increased lung cancer risk 20 April 2026 Queen’s part of €1.2 million project to develop non-invasive disease detection for Atlantic salmon 14 April 2026 Queen’s Medical School at 190: Celebrating Progress, Innovation and Shaping Modern Medicine 2 April 2026 Queen’s launches innovative reporting system to tackle mosquito-borne disease threats in NI 30 March 2026 Research Themes Healthy Living for All A Transformative and Sustainable Economy Secure Connected Intelligence – AI and the Data Revolution Human-Environment Relations Inclusive and Cohesive Communities Find out more View Research Map View All Case Studies RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS Ranked in the top 105 in the world for research quality THE World University Rankings 2026) 99% of our research environment is world-leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021) 24 subjects in the global top 200 (QS World Rankings by subject 2026) #2 University in the UK for entrepreneurial impact (i2i University Spinout Ranking 2024) Our local impact in Northern Ireland We are proud of our record in working with local communities, businesses and policy makers to improve the lives and livelihoods of those who call Northern Ireland home. We are committed to continuing to give back through our research locally. We lead and co-ordinate many projects with communities throughout Belfast and the wider region, conducted with and on behalf of the people. Read about our research making a difference, in a range of areas such as shared education, healthcare, improving outcomes in disadvantaged communities, dealing with the past and supporting economic growth. Our local impact An inclusive and supportive Research Culture Our research community is a vibrant hub for intellectual development, exchange and collaboration. We support, develop and nurture outstanding researchers to become research leaders of the future. Our Fellowship programmes are designed to nurture high-potential early-career researchers, ensuring they are supported to contribute to a diversity of multidisciplinary research. We are one of the leading UK universities in gender equality and are committed to promoting respect for diversity and inclusion, including greater awareness for LGBT+, racial and linguistic diversity. Queen’s is a committed signatory of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and holds the EU HR Excellence in Research Award. Developing Research Leaders Research Culture Driving Commercialisation and innovation Queen’s has a strong track record in innovation and enterprise, turning R&D into economic impact. We are the UK’s number two University for Entrepreneurial Impact (i2i University Spinout Ranking 2024), based on our effectiveness at commercialising research through spin-out companies relative to funding received. Our spin-out portfolio has a combined annual turnover of £171 million and has created 2,700 jobs, with half of Northern Ireland’s public companies created at Queen’s, including Kainos Group Plc, Andor Technology and Fusion Antibodies Plc. Queen’s is ranked in the top 10 universities in the UK for number of spin out companies (Royal Academy of Engineering and Beauhurst, 2025). We remain one of the leading providers of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) in the UK, engaging with businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity. Innovation at Queen's Supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals Our researchers work across disciplines and sectors to address local and global challenges, incorporating the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We're making a difference on a global scale, framing our research and collaborations in ways that can contribute to delivering peace and prosperity for our changing world. Through our research, we strive to change society for the better - whether that is connecting local individuals and communities, or contributing to international efforts to address global grand challenges such as climate change. Our work towards SDGs At the forefront of knowledge Global research collaborations and academic alliances continue to grow and develop with leading institutions in America, China, India, the Middle East and Asia. We host industry-led ‘competence centres’ in agri-food and sustainable energy, a state-of-the-art Precision Medicine Centre with Invest NI and the Belfast Health Trust, and the UK’s Innovation and Knowledge Centre for cyber-security (CSIT). We are a lead partner in the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) to drive projects that will foster innovation across key sectors including data science, creative industries, advanced manufacturing and health. We invest millions in the development of our research facilities to ensure that our staff, students and collaborators have the very best resources to help them in their work. Delivering Positive Change GLOBAL EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH Our research activity has global impact, and we continue to expand our reach through collaboration, building research partnerships to make a real difference to economies, societies and cultures across the world. Collaborate with us or lead our research into the future, with access to international funding streams, cutting edge facilities, and professional support. Global Research and Reach Postgraduate Research Postgraduate Researchers at Queen’s undertake projects with real social impact while exploring their passions and progressing in their fields. Our Graduate School provides a world class postgraduate experience, supporting research students, through a suite of training courses, events, networking, support and skills development. It provides a vibrant hub for intellectual exchange and collaboration. Explore our PhD opportunities research projects supervisors and doctoral programmes More on Postgraduate Research Public Engagement with Research Building on a track record for societal engagement and real world impact. Queen’s has a long history of conducting innovative and world-leading research with partners in industry, government, public policy, social and healthcare, the arts and the voluntary sector, across these islands, and around the world. Our academics' evidence-based research and ideas on the major social, cultural and economic challenges facing society regionally, nationally and beyond allows policymakers to make informed decisions about the most effective and sustainable ways to tackle these challenges, now and in the future. We engage the public through participatory and collaborative research with communities , as well as the media events and podcasts Policy Engagement Content displayed on the Research Portal is subject to the following licence arrangements: (pdf) Research data management is subject to the following policy: QUB Research Data Management Policy (pdf) Find an Expert Research Portal Research Strategy Our research Close Search