RAE Units of Assessment 2008

The Government’s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) rates the quality of all research in UK universities. The latest assessment (2008) rated 70% of Kingston University’s research submissions as excellent at international level. This assessment has meant the University’s research grant from the Higher Education Funding Body for England has nearly tripled this year.

The University submitted between a quarter and a third of our academic staff in 18 units of assessment, representing work undertaken across all the faculties and achieving a grade point average of 2.04. Under the new rating system, 12 of the 18 units we submitted achieved between five and 15% at 4*, denoting world-leading research; 30% of activity is now rated 4* and 3*; 10 units achieved a grade point average of 2* and above; and all 18 units achieved a minimum of 10% of 3* research.

Kingston was the highest rated new university in Business and Management Studies, with 10% of the research submitted achieving 4* status. Other particularly strong performers include Nursing, where 15% of the research submitted was judged as 4*, and History of Art, Architecture and Design, where 50% of the research submitted was graded either 3* or 4*.  A full list of the 2008 ratings is on the RAE website.

Strengths flagged for individual units of assessment include:

  • Nursing and Midwifery (11) – service user and care involvement; clear and specific research strategy;
  • Allied Health Professions and Studies (12) – new buildings and infrastructure; appointment of research-active staff; research structure, staffing policy; research strategy;
  • Computer Science and Informatics (23) – developing staff; collaboration with industry and users;
  • Geography and Environmental Studies (32) – the Environmental Change Group's innovative work on climate proxy studies and carbon cycling; the Geodynamics and Crustal Processes Group;
  • Economics and Econometrics (34) – supportive environment for research students;
  • Business and Management Studies (36) – world-leading outputs in entrepreneurship and marketing; the research environment; advisory and practitioner recognition;
  • Psychology (44) – development psychology; applied focus to work;
  • English Language and Literature (57) – supportive structure; internationally recognised and internationally excellent research activity; imaginative range of practices; strong creative writing group;
  • History (62) – student research activity; research structure and plans for future development; external activity and dissemination, especially at local level;
  • Art and Design (63) – indications of sustainability and esteem;
  • History of Art, Architecture and Design (64) – outputs and programme of conferences; visiting professors and gallery fellowships; level of service to the subject area; and
  • Music (67) – 20th century music, contemporary music and composition.

During the past few years, the University has also supervised many research degree students undertaking projects touching on all aspects of modern-day life. Their research has covered areas such as curating contemporary design; international conflict; film and television screen design; e-commerce; aerospace engineering and astronautics; legal dispute resolution; innovation and entrepreneurship; forensic analysis; creative industries and the creative economy; hazards and disaster management; rehabilitation, leadership and management in health; cancer biology; sports coaching; criminology; and human rights and genocide.

The 2008 RAE rating system

The quality standard scale for the 2008 RAE grades research from unclassified to 4* on the basis of a profile, rather than a single grade:

    • 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;
    • u/c Quality that falls below the standard of nationally recognised work.