University leaps forward in power rankings
THE North East has the strongest team of researchers outside of London after Northumbria University took a leap forward in prestigious power rankings.
Results from the Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) show Northumbria University with the biggest rise in research power ranking of any UK university.
Its research power ranking rose to 23rd, having previously risen to 50th in 2014 from 80th in 2008, making Northumbria the sector’s largest riser in research power ranking for the second time.
Northumbria has given the city of Newcastle a second researchintensive university and, alongside Durham, created a Northern Research Powerhouse with the largest city-area concentration of researchers outside London.
Northumbria has built on its success by having a major influx of researchers conducting worldleading and internationally recognised research over the past 15 years. The number of researchers has surged from 56 in 2008, to 207 in 2014 and 840 today.
At the same time, the quality and impact of research at Northumbria have risen significantly. On Quality-related (QR) power it ranks 28th, again with the biggest rise on this measure.
Vice-chancellor and Chief Executive of Northumbria, Professor Andrew Wathey CBE, said: “Alongside a second major leap in research power, the university’s results have improved in quality, in both absolute and relative terms, and its impact ratings have surged ahead.”