REF 2021 Results

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the main assessment of research across the higher education sector in the UK, and is vitally important in determining both future research funding and our global reputation. The REF process assesses each of our discipline areas in terms of its quality, and is carried out once every six-to-seven years. Submissions include research outputs, examples of the wider benefits of research, and evidence about the research environment.

The University of Dundee submitted to 16 Unit of Assessments, from Clinical Medicine to Art and Design, with 84% of our research being assessed as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. The REF 2021 outcomes can be viewed in full on the REF 2021 website.

For the second successive REF we are the top University in the UK for Biological Sciences (Times Higher Education). We also recorded strong performances in our clinical-related research, in the areas of Clinical Medicine and Allied Health Professions, underlining our capacity to deliver research outputs and real impacts that measurably transform lives locally and globally.

Our School of Art & Design is the highest graded art school in Scotland and our disciplinary clusters of Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science and Informatics, and Engineering are all in the top 30 in the UK (Times Higher Education). 

University of Dundee results for REF 2014 can be found on the REF 2014 website.