University celebrates five star Research Assessment success as 83% of subjects achieve top scores of 4 or 5
Posted on 19 December 1996
The quality of research at the University of York was rewarded today (19 December) by excellent results in the Research Assessment Exercise.
Eight departments at the University of York have been confirmed as research centres of international excellence in the results of the Research Assessment Exercise carried out by the higher education funding bodies and announced by them today. The RAE gives ratings from 1 to 5 to the research quality of every subject in every university.
It is a tremendous achievement when over a third of a university's subject areas are shown to be pre-eminent in international research
Professor Ron Cooke
Of the 23 subjects assessed at York, 19 have achieved ratings of 4 or 5, demonstrating a huge majority of top-rated departments. Every subject at York received a rating of 3 or above. Of the eight departments which received the accolade of a 'Five', two were rated 'Five Star'.
"It is a tremendous achievement when over a third of a university's subject areas are shown to be pre-eminent in international research," said Professor Ron Cooke, Vice-Chancellor. "Not only that, but 19 out of 23 subjects at York have ratings signifying research of national importance. Since the last Assessment in 1992, no fewer than 13 subjects have improved their research ratings. This is a vote of confidence in the staff of the University and a tribute to their hard work."
The full results for the University of York are as follows:
Five Star
- Computer Science
- Psychology
Five
- Biology
- Economics
- English
- Music
- Social Policy Social Work
Four
- Archaeology
- Chemistry
- Educational Studies
- Electronics
- Health Sciences
- History
- Language and Linguistic Science
- Physics
- Politics
- Pure Mathematics
- Sociology
Three (A)
Applied Mathematics Architecture
Three (B)
- Environmental Economics and Environmental Management
- Philosophy
Two
- none
One
- none
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1.The RAE is based on peer review of research quality by 60 specialist panels. The members of the panels are selected from the academic world and from commerce and industry.
2. The ratings of research quality are used by the higher education funding bodies to calculate the allocations of research funds. The results of the 1996 RAE will be used to allocate research funds from 1997/98 onwards.
3. Each subject is given a rating from 1 to 5. The rating scale is as follows:
5* Research quality of international excellence in a majority of sub-areas; national excellence in all others;
5 Research quality of international excellence in some sub-areas; national excellence in virtually all others;
4 Research quality of national excellence in virtually all sub-areas; international excellence in some;
3(a) Research quality of national excellence in a substantial majority of sub-areas, or a combination of international and national excellence in some which together form a majority;
3(b) Research quality of national excellence in the majority of sub-areas;
2 Research quality of national excellence in up to half of the sub-areas;
1 Research quality of national excellence in none, or virtually none of the sub-areas.
4. Universities may decide not to submit to the RAE at all, or to submit only some of their subject areas. All subject areas at York active from 1992 to 1996 have been submitted for assessment.