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Our Excellence in Research

Posted on 18 December 2014

The Department of Psychology at the University of York is ranked 4th out of 82 in the UK in the latest national research evaluation exercise.

The Research Excellence Framework (REF), takes place over a six-year period and is a detailed evaluation of research conducted in all UK Higher Education Institutions. Within each subject area research is evaluated on a four star scale in terms of output, the vitality and sustainability of the research environment, and the impact of research on wider society. Psychology, Neuroscience and Psychiatry are assessed as one subject area - at York this includes researchers in the Psychology Department (including our neuroimaging centre YNiC) and the Hull-York Medical School.

Our overall performance (taking into account, output, environment and impact) is ranked 4th in the UK (with a “grade point average” of 3.46 stars). Our research outputs (peer-reviewed papers) are ranked 2nd in the UK, with 95% being classified as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Professor Quentin Summerfield, Head of Department said:

This is a fantastic achievement for Psychology and Neuroscience at York, and for the academics, researchers and graduate students whose research has been recognised as outstanding.

This success reflects hard work by everyone in the Department who have each helped to create and sustain an environment in which world-leading, original and impactful research can flourish.

We would especially like to thank the team who put together our REF submission, Professor Andy Ellis and our Research Support Officer, Mandy Kenyon.”