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Queen Margaret University receives recognition for its international research excellence

Results from the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), (published on the 18^th December) have clearly shown that Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (QMU) has achieved its best ever results with 58% of its overall research being rated as world leading or internationally excellent.

Edinburgh (QMU) has achieved its best ever results with 58% of its overall research being rated as world leading or internationally excellent. QMU is producing three times as many world leading publications than it did in 2008 and has moved up 49 places(since the Research Assessment Exercise 2008) putting the University in 80th place within the Times Higherrankings for research excellence.

Renowned for its research in Speech and Language Sciences, QMU has seen further enhancement with 92% of its speech research and impact rated as internationally excellent or world leading. Speech and Language Sciences is 2^nd in the UK and 1^st in Scotland for the proportion of research classed as internationally excellent or world leading (92%). These results confirm that QMU’s Clinical Audiology, Speech and Language Research Centre continues to be an internationally renowned research facility (with 36% of its publications rated as world leading).

• QMU has also ranked 1^st in Scotland for media publications with 77% of its outputs ranked as world leading and internationally excellent. This places us in 12^th position in the UK.
• In the area of allied health over 40% of research publications (outputs) are rated world leading or internationally excellent. 
• Over 50% of the research profile in international health and development is internationally excellent.
• Research in Psychology resulted in outstanding impact. (This was the first time that Psychology had been submitted to REF and 29% of research in this area is internationally excellent.)
• QMU’s REF submission also reflects the University’s commitment to equality and diversity in research careers. The University was proud to submit a high volume of research from its early career researchers.

Professor Alan Gilloran, Deputy Principal of Queen Margaret University, said: “The results confirm that Queen Margaret University’s research work has global reach, and that we continue to respond to some of the most pressing and current issues affecting society in that, for example, our international health research is having an impact on refugee integration, the ebola crisis and in countries affected by conflict. Our positive results demonstrate our drive to be a socially relevant university with a firm focus on research which ultimately improves quality of life.”

Professor Gilloran continued: “We are pleased with our improved performance in the REF. The results clearly demonstrate that our work has impact with much of our research rated as world leading and internationally excellent. The REF results confirm our research focus in key areas of strength such as Speech and Language Sciences and Media, and we are also growing in other areas of research including Health Sciences (Allied Health, Rehabilitation and Nutritional Sciences) and Psychology.