Research
Research Excellence
Overview
Research at the University of Portsmouth is world-class – with an average 40 per cent of the research rated internationally excellent or world-leading and 78 per cent rated internationally recognised or above.
Our centres of excellence are amongst the best in the country with their research independently rated as being in the top ten for their field:
- The Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation are at the forefront of research in astrophysics and cosmology and play leading roles in international collaborations including the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Dark Energy Survey
- The Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences is a leading research centre and undertakes innovative externally funded work looking at solutions to complex medical problems
- The Centre for European and International Studies Research is the largest interdisciplinary research centre for European studies in the United Kingdom and was rated number one in the Research Power Index compiled by the journal Research Fortnight.
Areas of excellence
The University is extremely proud of our research areas of international excellence. Our work in health science has real and profound implications for human health for example, in the treatment of brain tumours. Portsmouth’s cosmologists contribute insight into the furthest reaches of space to stretch our understanding of how our universe was formed. In European and International studies our experts are consulted on matters of policy and social impact.
Allied Health Professions and Studies
Portsmouth is in the top three for funding in England in this subject area. The research is based in the Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences, with contributions from the Department of Sport and Exercise Science. The majority of the research was rated internationally excellent or world leading (3* and 4*).
Applied Mathematics
Seventy-five per cent of the research at Portsmouth was judged to be world leading or internationally excellent. This 4*+3* score is the best in the UK, matched only by the universities of Cambridge, Durham and Oxford. Funding increased by nearly 80 per cent. The research is based in the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, one of the top cosmology groups in the UK, with contributions from the Department of Mathematics.
European Studies
Portsmouth's Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR) comes top for funding in England, confirming its status as the UK's leading centre for interdisciplinary European Studies. CEISR links together researchers from the Schools of Languages and Area Studies, Social, Historical and Literary Studies, Creative Arts, Film and Media and the Department of Psychology. The research environment was assessed to be 100 per cent internationally excellent or world leading.
Research rankings
Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008
The RAE2008 (the most recent national assessment of UK University Research) rated an average 40 per cent of our research as internationally excellent or world-leading and 78 per cent rated internationally recognised or above. Portsmouth submitted research in ten subject areas, seven of which are in science or engineering:
- Allied Health Professions and Studies
- Applied Mathematics
- European Studies
- Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering
- Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences
- Business and Management Studies
- Geography and Environmental Studies
- Computer Science and Informatics
- Psychology
- Art and Design
The research funding that followed from this performance increased by 13 per cent, above the national average of 8 per cent.
World-leading results
In three areas, Portsmouth was in the national top ten for research quality:
- Allied Health Professions and Studies
- Applied Mathematics
- European Studies
In all remaining seven areas, Portsmouth research was more than 50 per cent internationally recognised or above.
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Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering
Research based in the Department of Mechanical and Design Engineering and the Institute of Industrial Research was rated as 45 per cent internationally excellent or world leading and 85 per cent internationally recognised or above. 60 per cent of the research outputs were assessed as internationally excellent or world leading and funding increased by over 120 per cent.
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Business and Management Studies
Research at Portsmouth was rated as 35 per cent internationally excellent or world leading, and 70 per cent internationally recognised or above. Funding increased by over 70 per cent. The research is based in the Business School, incorporating work in economics, accounting and law, and included contributions from the Department of Mathematics, the School of Computing and the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies.
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Geography and Environmental Studies
Research based in the Department of Geography was rated 85 per cent internationally recognised or above. More than 33 per cent of research outputs were rated internationally excellent or world leading. Research areas include geography of health, environmental processes, environment-society interactions and contemporary and historical GIS and cartography.
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Computer Science and Informatics
Portsmouth's research was rated 25 per cent internationally excellent or world-leading and 65 per cent internationally recognised or above. Research is based in the School of Computing, the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering and the School of Creative Technologies, and includes artificial intelligence, parallel and distributed systems, and healthcare modelling and informatics.
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Psychology
Research based in the Department of Psychology was rated 80 per cent internationally recognised or above, with 31 per cent of the research outputs rated internationally excellent or world-leading. Research in each of the three research centres was assessed as internationally excellent, with special mention of research in primatology, forensic psychology and visual attention.
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Art and Design
Portsmouth's research was rated 55 per cent internationally recognised or above. Research is based in the School of Art, Design and Media, the School of Creative Technologies and the School of Architecture. This research includes designed environments, art practice, digital media, and art and design critical and cultural contexts.
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Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences
Research based in the Schools of Earth and Environmental Sciences and in Biological Sciences, was rated as 45 per cent internationally excellent or world leading and 90 per cent internationally recognised or above. There was a major increase in funding.
