Research Excellence Framework 2021 results

We submitted 751 researchers to our 2021 REF return, across 22 Units of Assessment with 69 impact case studies submitted that evidenced our impact on lives across the world. 

Overall, 89% of the University's research activity was judged to be ‘world-leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*). 

And in our subject areas, we are delighted to see the University placed in the top five nationally for the following subjects (by the Times Higher Education REF2021 Subject Tables):

• UoA 1 Clinical Medicine (ranked 2nd overall out of 31)
• UoA 15 Archaeology (ranked 5th overall out of 24)
• UoA 24 Sports Science (ranked 2nd overall out of 61)
• UoA 28 History (ranked 2nd overall out of 81)
• UoA 34B Museum Studies (ranked 3rd overall out of 58)

In REF2021, 89.7%* of the real-world impact of our research across the institution was judged to be 'outstanding' or 'very considerable' (*weighted average). In three of the Unit of Assessment (UoAs) to which we made a submission, we attained the highest GPA for impact:

• UoA 5 Biological Sciences
• UoA 15 Archaeology^
• UoA 24 Sports and Exercise Science^

^For UoAs 15 and 24, 100% of impact was judged to be 'outstanding' - the highest score possible.

In a further two Units of Assessment (UoAs), our impact GPA was ranked in the top 10 nationally: 

• UOA 1 Clinical Sciences - 8th for impact GPA^†
• UoA 27 English Language and Literature - 5th for impact GPA^†

^†According to analysis by the Times Higher Education

The real-world societal impact of our research is important to us here at the University. In addition to our REF2021 impact results, we are ranked 23rd overall in the Times Higher Education World Impact Rankings (2022), with particular strengths in the following Sustainable Development Goals^†:

• 'Life on Land' - Leicester impact ranked 3rd internationally and 1st nationally
• 'Responsible Consumption and Production' - ranked 9th overall and 5th nationally
• 'Reduced Inequalities' - ranked 16th overall and 5th nationally
• 'Partnerships for the Goals' - ranked 15th overall, and 7th nationally

^†The Times Higher Education World Impact Rankings use the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as categories.

REF2021 also assesses the research 'environment' of each university – the place where researchers undertake their research, collaborate and thrive to achieve the very best research outcomes. Environment covers a range of areas from staff diversity and support to funding income, to buildings and facilities. 

95.5% of our research environment was judged to be 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent', meaning the University of Leicester is a great place to be a researcher and to foster an academic career. 

Academic research can take a variety of forms of ‘output’ for REF, as long as it meets their definition of research (“a process of investigation leading to new insights, effectively shared”).

The number of outputs each university was required to submit was set by a calculation of 2.5 times the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) submitted for each unit of assessment. Overall, Leicester submitted 1689 outputs across a range of formats from journal articles, to book chapters and whole books, scholarly editions, research reports and conference papers.

Institutionally, over 85% of our research outputs were judged to be world-leading or internationally excellent.