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School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science

School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science confirmed as a centre of research excellence in REF 2021

The School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science has excelled in today’s Research Excellence Framework (REF), further solidifying the School’s status as a centre of national and international excellence in research.

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EECS has been ranked 8th in Computer Science and Informatics and 7th in Engineering in the UK, which is a tremendous recognition of our research excellence and performance. The independent assessment of research quality assesses the quality of research outputs, research environment and research impact.

Other notable achievements from the REF include:

  • 99% of our research is classed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
  • We’ve been ranked joint 1st in the UK in Impact for Computer Science and Informatics, with 100% of submitted impact case studies deemed outstanding impacts in terms of their reach and significance, evidencing that our research work is strongly linked to real-world applications.
  • Ranked 2nd in the UK in Output for Engineering with 97.8% of submitted output sub-profiles rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

Overall, Queen Mary University of London has been ranked joint 7th in the UK for the quality of its research. Across the University, 92% of Queen Mary’s research was assessed as internationally excellent or world-leading. 

Professor Steve Uhlig, Head of School, said: “We’re delighted with these results, and are very proud of the successes and achievements we’ve highlighted in this submission. These results are reflective of our excellent and impactful research, and the strong community that we foster within EECS. I hope all our staff will join me in celebrating our accomplishments and research excellence within the school.”

Professor Clive Parini, Deputy Director of Research and Head of the Antenna & Electromagnetics Research Group, said: "This an excellent result for the School, with the Computer Science UOA now being the 7th largest in the country with a submitted FTE of 68.8, it means that we are now 5th in the Research Power rankings (GPA x FTE) along with our 8th ranking in terms of GPA. We have improved on our performance in REF2014 and with nearly twice the number of submitted staff. Being ranked joint first for our Research Impact with a maximum GPA score of 4*, and being ranked second in terms of Power, is an amazing result for our six submitted case studies, showing the outstanding reach and significance of EECS research. In addition, our Antennas and Robotics groups contributed to the excellent score of 7th overall GPA ranking for the QMUL Engineering UOA and being ranked 2nd in terms of research outputs is a fantastic result for this UOA."

Queen Mary’s strong REF performance is set in the context of its commitment to research and educational excellence, coupled with an unrivalled commitment to social justice and social mobility. Last year, the University was ranked top in the country for social mobility with Computing courses named best course in the country. That same year, Queen Mary was also the first university to have received the Platinum Watermark for Public Engagement, highlighting the significant global impact of its research and education.     

More information

  • The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the Government-led process for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. It assesses overall research quality through 3 indicators: output, impact, and the environment that supports research.
  • Ranking from highest to lowest GPA (grade point average) - direct from REF data

Queen Mary’s Strategy 2030 outlines its firm commitment to research and innovation. The University aims to attract the best researchers from all over the world and develop our staff and research students to become leaders in their fields of research. To discover more about our world-leading research, visit https://www.qmul.ac.uk/research/featured-research/

 

 

 

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