A great start to the New Year!

Big congratulations to our colleagues at Urban Studies (University of Glasgow) who have been ranked top of the UK assessment of research excellence in the category of Architecture, Built Environment and Planning, reflecting the exceptional quality of the research conducted by the unit. 

The Research Excellence Framework (REF2014) is a process of independent expert review which assesses the research of British higher education institutions. The REF covers research carried out from 2008-13, providing a detailed profile of research activity in universities and colleges in the UK and is a recognised indicator of research quality. 

Out of the 44 research units included in its category of Architecture, Built Environment and Planning, Urban Studies achieved not only joint first place in the UK but top place in Scotland and top place in the Russell Group (the UK’s 24 top research-intensive universities). 

Overall, almost half of Urban Studies’ submission was given the top ranking of 4* 'world-leading'. Within this, 46% of the written outputs submitted by Urban Studies were classified as 4* 'world-leading' and a further 38% as 3* 'internationally excellent'. Two-thirds of the evidence submitted for research impact (e.g. on society and policy) was also deemed 'world-leading'. 

The GoWell research programme made a very substantial contribution to this result. Nearly a fifth of the written outputs submitted to the REF by Urban Studies were associated with GoWell, and one of the three impact case studies submitted concerned GoWell’s knowledge exchange. GoWell therefore made the largest contribution to this result by a single research project within Urban Studies over the past six years. 

In recognising the contribution GoWell has made to the REF ranking, the Urban Studies department would like to express their thanks to GoWell’s partnership organisations (the Glasgow Centre for Population Health and the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit) and its sponsors, Scottish Government, Glasgow Housing Association, NHS Health Scotland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. All of these organisations have made a significant contribution to GoWell since its conception, both in resource terms (money and people) and intellectually, and their ongoing commitment to and support for GoWell cannot be overlooked. 

Our colleagues at Urban Studies have also expressed their appreciation for the communities involved in GoWell, and in particular for the time that people have given in taking part in our research. 

This REF result is testament to the commitment to and quality of the work from GoWell and all those involved in it.