Research

REF 2021

We’re delighted with our performance in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF 2021).

The School of Media, Arts and Humanities made submissions to six Units of Assessment (discipline areas). Each received a different set of grades:

• 87.5% of the research environment was awarded the top grade (4*) in REF 2021.
• For UoA 28 – History, 83.3% of History research impact was found to be ‘outstanding’ in REF 2021
• For UoA 30 – Philosophy, 75% of Philosophy research impact was found to be ‘outstanding’ in REF 2021
• For UoA 32 – Art and design: history, practice and theory, Overall, 61% of our Art History research was found to be ‘world-leading’ in REF 2021
• For UoA 33 – Music, drama, dance, performing arts, film and screen studies, we are proud to have achieved so highly across 4* and 3* in both Research Environment and Outputs, with excellent results in Impact
• For UoA 34 – Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management, 51% of our research overall was found to be ‘world-leading’.

Additionally, our submissions appear in the Times Higher Education REF 2021 rankings by overall grade point average (GPA) as follows:

• English Language and Literature (UoA27): =14th (9th in 2014) (Subject groups: English Literature and English Language and Linguistics)
• History (UoA28): 15th (=15th in 2014)
• Philosophy (UoA30): 14th (=16th in 2014)
• Art and design: history, practice and theory (UoA32): 8th (57th in 2014) (Subject group: Art History)
• Music, drama, dance, performing arts, film and screen studies (UoA33): =34th (40th in 2014) (Subject groups: Music and Drama)
• Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management (UoA34): 11th (=15th in 2014) (Subject groups: Media, Journalism and Cultural Studies, Film Studies and Creative and Critical Media Practice)

Across the University of Sussex as a whole, 89% of research activity submitted to REF 2021 was categorised as either ‘world-leading’ (40.6%) or ‘internationally excellent’ (48.4%).

The results of REF 2021 were published on 12 May 2022.

See all REF results and read the stories behind the research we submitted.