REF 2021 - Research Excellence Framework

Our research is changing the world, to create a sustainable, healthy and socially just future.

We’re impacting lives and addressing global challenges: More than 90% of our research has internationally excellent impact.

Our research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university.

We are doing more world-leading research than ever before.

REF 2021 is the national assessment of the strength of UK research. The results show that we at Exeter have increased the proportion of our research which is world-leading by more than 60% and increased the size of our research community by 70%.

Our results

  •  More than 99% of our research is of international quality, with 89% internationally excellent and 47% world-leading
  •  Our world-leading research impact has grown by 72% since 2014, more than any other Russell Group university
  •  94% of our research has internationally excellent impact, and 60% has world-leading impact
  •  12 of our subjects are in the Top 10 for world-leading impact in their area
  •  10 of our disciplines are in the Top 10 for their overall world-leading performance with 18 in the Top 20
  •  We are No1 in the UK for world-leading research in Sport Science
  •  We are No1 in the UK for world-leading research in Theology and Religious Studies
  •  We are No2 in the UK for world-leading research in our Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies (Area Studies)

Our results

Our case studies

What is the REF?

Our case studies

Read more of the case studies we submitted to REF 2021 >>

You can’t beet it: beetroot juice as a nutritional ergogenic aid for sport and exercise performance

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The Wake of Islamic State: Shaping UK Foreign and Military Policy in Iraq

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Label-free imaging of the ingestion and accumulation of microplastics in marine organisms

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