Research + Enterprise

The Research Excellence Framework submission (REF 2021) was the major research event over the past year. Whilst the submission required significant efforts from individuals within the School to meet the March 2021 deadline, it has enabled the School to better calibrate and celebrate the range and quality of research being undertaken. This exercise has shown that the increase in research and allied enterprise activities across the various disciplines is remarkable and stands as testament to an environment which encourages and lauds research and enterprise. The number of staff submitting to the REF doubled over 6 years, enabling us to submit over 70 journal articles, books, book chapters, edited books and Multi Component Outputs (MCOs). The MCOs were a special feature of the submission, allowing practice based research to be highlighted and disseminated in the best possible way. Growth in research is evident in the numbers with 109 journal articles, 11 monographs, 15 edited books, 38 book chapters, 40 conference papers and proceedings and 40+ shows/exhibitions. This increase is partly the result of a staff recruitment strategy to employ internationally excellent research active staff who have PhDs and, where they do not have PhDs, to encourage them to undertake PhD studies. There are currently 27 staff who have PhDs in the School with 7 working towards a PhD. The School was also awarded 10 Vice Chancellor Scholarships, with 16 PhD completions during this period.

Over the past year, the School has increased the number and diversity of Research Groups, aiming in the future to number around 10. At present these include: —Advanced Urban Research Group provides a focus for interdisciplinary urban research that intersects, new materiality, media, and space. —CAPTIVATE Spatial Modelling Research Group uses remote sensing technologies to build high fidelity digital models of cultural heritage for conservation, museological, and pedagogical purposes. —DARE (Digital Arts Research and Enterprise Research Group) which brings together theorists and practitioners to conduct research that re-thinks the possibilities for creative practice in the digital age. —INTENT (Integrated Nature and Technology Research Group) brings together the work, experience, knowledge, and interests of landscape and built environment groups around the theme of combining nature-based solutions with existing and new technologies. —Sound/Image Research Group uses practice as a tool of critical enquiry to investigate the possibilities available to create new aesthetic experiences through a range of audio-visual media technologies.

New Research Groups that are emerging are Diversity and Inclusivity by Design and Critical Theory.

REF2021 obliged us to have an in depth look at ourselves and our environment from a research and enterprise perspective, enabling us to celebrate our research and researchers and going forward to motivate us to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to undertake research that is meaningful to themselves but that also has greater impact beyond academia.