All Scottish universities producing ‘world-leading’ research, report finds

All of Scotland’s universities are producing “world-leading” research, according to an annual report.

The UK-wide Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment of research output shows 41% of the work by Scottish universities is deemed world leading.

The REF is a thorough assessment looking at the quality of research in all disciplines at universities across the country.

All of Scotland’s universities have at least 50% of research judged as world leading or internationally excellent.

The REF judged 90% of all output to be outstanding or very considerable.

Almost 90% of Heriot-Watt University research was deemed to be world leading, and 87% at the University of Stirling was seen as internationally significant.

Karen Watt, chief executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “Today’s results underline the strength of university research in Scotland and reinforce the global reputation of our world-leading institutions.

“With almost 90% of Scottish university research being judged to have outstanding or very considerable impact, we can clearly see the real benefits that public investment is having on people’s day-to-day lives.

“This is a huge achievement and I would like to pay tribute to every member of staff who has contributed to this robust process and to all those who continue to make such a huge contribution to addressing the societal challenges we collectively face.”

Jamie Hepburn, the minister for further education, higher education and science, said: “Today’s REF2021 results highlight the excellent research being carried out in our institutions and confirms Scotland’s position as a world-leading research nation.

“They also demonstrate the impact of Scottish research across all disciplines, which is something we should be rightly proud of.”