RAE results
RAE 2008 results reveal internationally important research at
York St John
York St John University is delighted to announce that nearly 40%
of research submitted by the University to the Higher Education
Funding Council of England (Hefce) for assessment has today been
recognised as of international importance as part of the 2008
Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), with some classified as
internationally excellent and world-leading.
A further 46% of research outputs were found to be of national
significance, placing York St John well on course in its plans to
gain Research Degree Awarding Powers in the coming years.
The results announced today by Hefce reflect applications
submitted for the RAE 2008 deadline in November 2007. York St
John has since then achieved substantial further progress in its
research development, including the appointments of an additional 4
Professors, 15 academic staff who would have been submitted for the
RAE had they been with us at the time and 14 PhD students. In terms
of outputs the last year has seen the publication by University
staff of 31 books, 33 book chapters, and over 70 peer-reviewed
articles.
Much of the University’s research is focussed on areas with a
particular local applicability such as Cardiac Rehabilitation and
Cultural Tourism, and is informed by York St John’s distinctive
values and concerns, examples include work on Public Theology,
Sport & HIV, Islamophobia, and bullying in schools.
York St John University’s funding from government is almost
exclusively for teaching but the University expects all of its
teaching to be underpinned by scholarship and research. The
University took part in Hefce’s national Research Assessment
Exercise to demonstrate that it values the research undertaken by
its staff and is a suitable destination for academics with research
aspirations.
The university’s research strategy promotes interdisciplinary
research and aims to develop critical mass in areas of research
strength in each of its four Faculties. Its key aims are to
attract increasing numbers of PhD students and research-active
staff, attract external research funding and develop a research
culture which will secure a national and ultimately an
international research reputation for the institution.
Professor David Maughan Brown, Deputy Vice Chancellor of York St
John University says:
“At York St John University
we have excellent academic, technical and support staff who are
contributing to the development of our research and we are very
pleased with progress to date.”
“It is not coincidental that
the area which has seen the most significant improvement in RAE
results – Drama, Dance & Performing Arts – is the one research
area for which we have received Government
funding.”
“With substantial
developments in our research infrastructure and the significant
commitment to improved research facilities over the last few years,
including most recently a postgraduate research centre in our new
De Grey Court building, we are confident that we have laid the
foundations of a strong research institution with Research Degree
Awarding Powers.”
This Research Assessment Exercise is the 6th since
1986 and the results will be used to allocate over £1.5 billion in
research funding each year from 2009-10. Individual recurrent
grants will be announced at the beginning of March 2009. 159
higher educations institutions submitted to the 2008 RAE, judged by
15 main panels and 67 sub-panels, comprising over 1,000 panel
members. The RAE 2008 will be the last RAE. In the future, the
Research Excellence Framework (REF) will be introduced to replace
it.