University of Oxford REF 2021

The UK Funding Bodies have published the outcomes of the recent national research assessment exercise, the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.

The REF 2021 results show Oxford’s submission had the highest volume of world-leading research. [1]

The University of Oxford made the largest submission of any Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the UK, submitting over 3,600 researchers (3,405 full time equivalent) into 29 subject areas, over 8,500 research outputs in a range of formats from journal articles to compositions, and 220 case studies about the impact of Oxford research beyond academia.

Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Oxford, said:

‘The REF 2021 results demonstrate once again that Oxford is a research powerhouse. The impact case studies highlight our effectiveness in putting this research in service to society by making critical contributions to global health, economic prosperity and cultural life.’

‘The REF is one of the few opportunities to see the remarkable breadth of our research and to draw together all parts of the collegiate University in a single collaborative effort, I would like to thank everyone involved for their contribution.’

Professor Patrick Grant, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Oxford said:

‘The publication of the REF 2021 results marks the culmination of the work done by staff across the University, especially in the past two years or so. Thank you to everyone involved in the submission — both those who, in a variety of ways, led and supported our research and impact activities, and also the many colleagues who coordinated the submission itself.’

‘We are pleased to have submitted work from researchers at a variety of career stages and from across the Collegiate university, thus giving us the opportunity to showcase the depth and breadth of our research. Our submission also shows how through our collaborations with external partners our research is used to benefit society, across the UK and around the world.’

View the full Oxford REF results here.

[1] Largest volume of world-leading research is calculated from the sum of (overall %4* x submitted FTE) across all submissions.
Full results are available at: www.ref.ac.uk

Among the submission highlights are:

Digital Delius: resources for musical performance and education

Cataloguing the work of British composer, Frederick Delius, and engaging with audiences has increased knowledge and understanding of his music and the process of composition.

Typhoid vaccine over 81% effective in tackling disease in Nepal

Typhoid vaccine improves childhood health and disease control

Trials of a new typhoid vaccine led to World Health Organisation approval, with the vaccine now administered to children in areas of high disease burden in the developing world.

Smart handpumps improve clean water access in rural Africa

Research into the inadequate servicing of local water pumps in sub-Saharan Africa has led to changes to practice, technology and policy in the provision of water services in rural Kenya and currently offers secure drinking water to over 82,000 rural Kenyans.

coal fired power station silhouette at sunset

Routes to greenhouse gas removal

Oxford research on the the active removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and their storage, has informed UK goverment policy and investments to mitigate climate change.

The Jewish country house as a site of European memory

Examining the Jewish and antisemitic histories of major properties in Britain in partnership with the National Trust, has influenced curatorial and management practices, as well as public understanding.

Elimination of malaria in remote regions of Myanmar

Implementation of malaria control programmes has achieved near elimination of the disease in the Thailand-Myanmar border area.

warehouse worker with helmet and safety vest

New software helps to boosts life chances for resettled refugees

The AnnieMOORE TM Software developed by an international team is helping to resettle refugees in communities where they are more likely to flourish.

Scientist inserting a flow cell into MinION Mk1C

New sensing tech for precise molecular analysis

Oxford spin-out company Oxford Nanopore Technologies' inexpensive, fast, portable, nanopore-based direct DNA and RNA sequencing has been widely used for sequencing of viruses in public health emergencies.

Roman coins online: digital preservation of transnational heritage

An online project to document all coinage used in the Roman Empire between 30 BC and AD 400, has facilitated collaboration, changed curation practices, and supported teaching in Europe and beyond.

Intensive care emergency room with artificial lung ventilation monitor

The RECOVERY trial: Global COVID-19 treatments save lives

Investigating the effects of existing drugs on COVID-19 led to the discovery of the first effective treatment to reduce deaths caused by the disease, and has since gone on to establish three more, saving millions of lives world-wide.

Asian child with finger in his mouth being held by his father

Open access parenting programme prevents child abuse globally

A global effort to develop the world’s first suite of open-access parenting programmes to end violence against children is estimated to have prevented over 80,000 cases of severe abuse.

Reducing CO2 emissions through climate policy

Establishment of the ‘global carbon budget’ - a limited cumulative amount of CO₂ that can be emitted before global average temperatures rise above a target threshold - has led to wide-reaching change in climate policy.

Young adult friends holding up copyspace placard thought bubbles

Demonstrating the importance of Latin and ancient Greek in schools

Promoting the teaching of Latin and Ancient Greek at primary and early secondary level has demonstrated that classical language learning can be used as a tool to support literacy progress.

assorted donuts with chocolate frosted, pink glazed and sprinkles donuts

Making the case for sugar taxes

Modelling of the impact of health-related food taxation policies in reducing obesity and boosting health has influenced policy in Mexico, Ireland, and the UK.

Senior woman wearing floral mask due to coronavirus making peace sign

Demographic and sociological interventions during COVID-19

Investigating age-specific patterns of COVID-19 mortality ‘hotspots’ of infection and healthcare supply, support bubble formation, face coverings, and vaccine deployment has shaped policy-making in response to the pandemic, both in the UK and abroad.

Zooniverse: citizen science for positive change

The Zooniverse citizen science platform has engaged over 2 million volunteers on its projects, which have led to improved disaster relief response, changes to environmental policy, and enhanced teaching in schools.

man looking at camera during appointment at doctor office

Promoting compassion and professionalism in healthcare

Research on compassion and the values of healthcare organisations aims to support doctors’ satisfaction in their profession and promote innovative, high quality healthcare for patients.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to prevent depression

New approaches using Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) are being used to treat and prevent depression for millions of people around the world.

woman teacher near whiteboard explaining rules to group of students

Integrating migrants in European cities

Initiatives are improving integration of migrants in major cities in the UK and across Europe through improvement of provisions for homeless migrants, new initiatives to support language provision, the provision of immigration advice, and programmes to support employment for refugees and asylum seekers.

Mitigation of mass arsenic poisoning in India

Mathematical models for the filtration of contaminants flowing through porous media have assisted in mitigation of arsenic poisoning in communities living in the Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta in India.

Misbehaving bodies: encouraging awareness of health diversity

An exhibition documenting the lives of people with life-limiting and chronic health conditions improved awareness of health diversity, attracting over 800 visitors a day.