The University of Sheffield
Research and Innovation

Research Assessment Exercise 2008 Quality Profiles

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) is a process that enables the higher education funding bodies to distribute public funds for research selectively on the basis of quality. Approximately £1340 million is distributed in this way each year. The RAE provides quality ratings for research in universities and colleges in the UK across all disciplines.

Rating

From 2008, the results are presented in the form of a quality profile, with proportions of work being judged to meet the following five quality levels:

4* - Quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour

3* - Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which nonetheless falls short of the highest standards of excellence

2* - Quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour

1* - Quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour

Unclassified - Quality that falls below the standard of nationally recognised work. Or work which does not meet the published definition of research for the purposes of this assessment

    FTE Category A staff submitted 4* 3* 2* 1* unclassified
1 Cardiovascular Medicine 22.00 0 25 65 10 0
2 Cancer Studies 34.85 5 55 40 0 0
3 Infection and Immunology 18.00 5 40 50 5 0
4 Other Hospital Based Clinical Subjects 54.36 5 55 30 10 0
7A School of Health and Related Research 56.17 20 35 35 10 0
9 Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology 20.00 10 30 50 10 0
10 Dentistry 31.40 15 55 25 5 0
11 Nursing and Midwifery 13.00 15 35 35 10 5
12 Allied Health Professions and Studies 12.90 20 30 25 20 5
14 Biological Sciences 70.50 20 50 25 5 0
17 Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences 19.20 15 50 30 5 0
18 Chemistry 33.70 15 55 30 0 0
19 Physics 31.50 20 40 35 5 0
20 Pure Mathematics 17.25 15 40 45 0 0
21 Applied Mathematics 17.00 10 35 50 5 0
22 Statistics and Operational Research 10.70 10 50 30 10 0
23 Computer Science and Informatics 34.00 15 50 30 5 0
24 Electrical and Electronic Engineering A - Automatic Control and Systems Engineering 18.00 25 40 30 5 0
24 Electrical and Electronic Engineering B - Electronic and Electrical Engineering 38.00 15 45 35 5 0
26 Chemical Engineering 20.00 15 40 40 5 0
27 Civil Engineering 28.70 20 65 15 0 0
28 Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering 30.20 30 45 20 5 0
29 Metallurgy and Materials 38.40 15 50 35 0 0
30 Architecture and the Built Environment A - Architecture 19.60 35 35 25 5 0
30 Architecture and the Built Environment B - Landscape 12.00 20 55 25 0 0
31 Town and Country Planning 17.00 35 30 30 5 0
32 Geography and Environmental Studies 32.90 20 50 25 5 0
33 Archaeology 27.00 25 35 30 10 0
34 Economics and Econometrics 15.00 15 55 25 5 0
36 Business and Management Studies 43.30 15 45 35 5 0
37 Library and Information Management 22.20 30 35 25 10 0
38 Law 31.58 15 35 35 15 0
39 Politics and International Studies 25.00 45 30 20 5 0
40 Social Work and Social Policy & Administration 26.60 20 45 30 5 0
44 Psychology 40.45 15 45 35 5 0
45 Education 24.20 15 25 45 15 0
49 Asian Studies 22.00 5 25 40 25 5
51 Russian, Slavonic and East European Languages 8.00 25 45 20 10 0
52 French 14.00 25 25 35 15 0
53 German, Dutch and Scandinavian Languages 9.00 10 20 45 20 5
55 Iberian and Latin American Languages 9.00 25 30 25 15 5
57 English Language and Literature 42.00 30 25 40 5 0
58 Linguistics 13.50 20 40 30 10 0
60 Philosophy 19.00 35 35 30 0 0
61 Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies 8.00 20 45 35 0 0
62 History 29.00 35 30 25 10 0
66 Communication, Cultural and Media Studies 7.00 5 50 10 30 5
67 Music 12.40 45 35 20 0 0