Nottingham Trent University strengthens its status as a world-leading research institution

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The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 provides a robust and thorough assessment of the quality of universities’ research in all disciplines, providing accountability for public investment in research and demonstrating the benefits of that investment.

The result is a significant step change to the University's performance in the previous assessment in 2014, when 55% of its research was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.

In addition, the impact of NTU’s research was also assessed – how it benefits society and makes a difference to people’s lives and their communities - and 86% of NTU’s research impact was assessed to be either world-leading or internationally excellent. Once again, this is a significant increase from 2014, which classed 63% of NTU’s research impact as world-leading or internationally excellent.

These results reflect a greater focus on and investment in research, in line with NTU’s strategic plan, University, reimagined. A review and re-focusing of research centre activity have contributed to the creation and promotion of the research portfolio and development of collaborative opportunities.

Professor Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor, Nottingham Trent University, said: "I am immensely proud of the results we have achieved, just a few months after being awarded the UK’s highest honour for a university - a Queen’s Anniversary Prize - for our research.

“I am especially delighted to be recognised for our impact. This reflects the commitment to ensuring our research benefits citizens and communities, whether that is on a local, national or international scale.

“Importantly, these results show that a university that is renowned for the quality of its student teaching and support can also undertake world leading and internationally excellent research. Indeed, our students’ experiences are underpinned and enhanced by the innovation and ideas from our academics who are respected the world over.”

Over 400 researchers at Nottingham Trent University took part in the exercise, submitting their research under 14 broad research areas or 'Units of Assessment'.

NTU highlights from individual research areas include:

• 99% of research submitted to Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy was assessed to be either world-leading or internationally excellent in terms of quality
• 98% of research submitted to Engineering was assessed to be either world-leading or internationally excellent in terms of quality
• 100% of research impact submitted to Law was assessed be either world-leading or internationally excellent in terms of quality.

The REF was undertaken by the four higher education funding bodies for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: Research England, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE). REF 2021 was managed on behalf of the funding bodies by a UK team based at Research England.

The results will be used by the four UK higher education funding bodies to allocate research funding to universities; this will be around £2 billion per year from 2022-23.

A total of 157 universities and 76,000 academic staff took part in REF 2021.