The rankings were calculated by the Times Higher Education from the national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) results announced today (12th May) which looked at the outputs, impact and research environment of the research carried out across the School.
Overall, the REF results showed that 97% of the School’s research outputs have been rated world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) with over 70% given the highest 4* rating of world-leading.
The Times Higher Education has calculated each university's Grade Point Average (GPA) across the four rating categories to compare research quality across UK institutions submitting to each Unit of Assessment (UoA).
On this basis, research in the category of Social Work and Social Policy was rated 2nd in the UK overall as well as joint 1st in the UK for impact and research environment, achieving 100% in these areas.
In the category of Sport and Exercise Sciences, our research was rated 1st in the UK on 4* outputs with 74% rated as world-leading and 97% as either 3* or 4*.
The School for Policy Studies hosts a multidisciplinary community of scholars who seek to impact policy and practice by undertaking excellent research across a range of social policy domains, drawing on social and public policy, social work, childhood studies, disability studies, criminology, and social gerontology.
Head of School for Policy Studies, Professor Esther Dermott, said:
“We are delighted with our REF results which are testament to the fantastic range of research and impact activity that is produced by staff in the School and everything that goes into developing and delivering this research.”
School Research Director, Professor Debbie Watson, commented:
“This is a fantastic reflection of the policy and practice research conducted across the School which is driven by a desire to improve people's lives. Our case studies showcase impacts locally, nationally and globally ranging from gender-based violence, education for children in care, and global poverty, to premature deaths amongst people with learning difficulties and physical activity guidelines.”
The REF results place the University of Bristol as a whole as 5th for research in the UK with a remarkable 94% of its research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.