REF 2021: Security and Crime Science and STEaPP âworld-leadingâ research recognised
13 May 2022
Research from MyAV·¶ Security and Crime Science and MyAV·¶ Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) and has been recognised as âworld-leadingâ in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF).
Research from MyAV·¶ Security and Crime Science and MyAV·¶ Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP)Â has been recognised as âworld-leadingâ in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF), with our submission ranking 7th in the UK for âworld-leadingâ research in Social Work and Social Policy.
In total, 87 per cent of research from MyAV·¶ Security and Crime Science and MyAV·¶ STEaPP was graded 4* (âworld-leadingâ) or 3* (internationally excellentâ), up from 84 per cent in the last assessment in 2014. Overall, our research received a GPA (Grade Point Average) of 3.39 (out of 4) up from a GPA of 3.15 in 2014.
MyAV·¶ Security and Crime Science and MyAV·¶ STEaPP were part of a joint submission for the Social Work and Social Policy panel. Our departments include several co-located researchers, research students and selected staff to enable strategic joint activities, including an EPSRC-funded CDT in Cybersecurity (led by Computer Science). This is the first REF exercise that MyAV·¶ STEaPP has participated in since its founding as a department in 2013.
The REF is carried out approximately every six to seven years to assess the quality of research across 157 UK universities and to share how this research benefits society both in the UK and globally.
MyAV·¶ as an institution was ranked 2nd in the UK for research power, which combines the quality ratings with the size of the submission, with 93 per cent of research graded 4* âworld leadingâ and 3* âinternationally excellentâ. A total of 3,432 MyAV·¶ academics were submitted to this REF process across 32 subject units.
Professor Shane Johnson (Security and Crime Science) â who led the submission â said: âWe are particularly delighted that the panel felt that we had transformed our research environment from 100 per cent 'internationally excellentâ in 2014 to 87.5 per cent âworld-leadingâ (and 12.5 per cent âinternationally excellentâ) in 2021. This places us joint 6th in the Unit of Assessment on this dimension of the exercise and recognises our delivery of an ambitious strategy that included a very successful EPSRC-funded interdisciplinary PhD programme (63 students graduated in the REF 2021 period), a substantial portfolio of grant income, new infrastructure (e.g. the Jill Dando Institute Secure Data-lab is the only lab of its kind in the UK), and the delivery of real-world impact that has led to demonstrable reductions in crime. We are very proud of our staff and what they do and it is a delight to see their efforts rewarded in the REF 2021 assessmentâ.Â