Sport

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Our results from REF 2021

The newly published results from the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 confirm that nearly 90 per cent of our sport-related research activity is in the highest categories – 4 star and 3 star – which are classified respectively as ‘world leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’, a growth of 22 per cent since the previous REF in 2014. This places us as Scotland’s top-ranked institution for sport-related research breadth and quality (Times Higher Education).

Our success is based on world-leading collaborations across the sport, health and education sectors which ensure our interdisciplinary research is tackling real-world problems.

We integrate expertise from across disciplines to solve global challenges such as the pandemic of inactivity, improving the quality of physical education and sustainability education, and demonstrating ways of reducing inequalities in and through sport. The impact of our research is evidenced in new physical activity policies set out by the Scottish Government and World Health Organisation.

Our research impact

Research on physical activity and weight loss in football fans began here in Scotland, and the recommendations have now been adopted by more than 125 clubs around the world. Our innovative sport-initiated research on decision making in stressful situations has crossed disciplinary borders to inform training for organ retrieval teams and crime scene examiners. Our sustainability education research has resulted in Scotland becoming a global pioneer in incorporating learning for sustainability into the national curriculum.

We have also promoted public understanding through a series of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), which have attracted over 100,000 learners to engage with the issues explored in our research.

Coming soon after being named as 26^th in the world by the QS World University ranking for Sport-Related Subjects, we are proud of our world-leading position at the forefront of sport-related research, policy and practice.

Notes

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. It is a process of expert review of research within UK higher education which is carried out by panels in each of 34 subject-based areas. The review covers the period 2014 to 2020. Membership of the panels is made up of respected users of research as well as senior academics drawn from the UK and overseas to ensure that UK research is judged by international standards. REF 2021 is designed to provide accountability for public funding of research and to produce evidence of the benefits of this investment. The outcomes provide measures of success that inform the selective allocation of funding for research over the next few years.

Three distinct elements are assessed by the panel: the quality of outputs, such as publications, the impact of the research beyond academia, and the environment that supports research. 

Rankings and reputation