Turning the pages of our research story

In moving forward to become a new kind of excellent university, Northumbria has long recognised the importance of enhancing its research capacity. Our vision is to be known as a research-rich, business-focussed, professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence.

To achieve this goal, Northumbria embarked on a transformative project in 2008 to strategically grow its strength in research. We have invested heavily in research-active staff and high-quality facilities that have helped to generate excellence in all of the University’s activities, including teaching, innovation and employer engagement. This growing focus on research has helped to shape the University’s profile. Northumbria has climbed the national league tables and has received its highest ever ratings for student satisfaction and experience. The University has forged partnerships with leading organisations and universities worldwide and is now rated within the UK’s top 50 universities for research power.

From the initial aim to grow research capacity and capability, the recent national assessment of research excellence gave a powerful endorsement of the University’s achievements. The Research Excellence Framework 2014 revealed that Northumbria had achieved the biggest improvement in research activity of any university in the country since 2008.

Research is integral to everything the University does, and, perhaps more importantly, the research we specialise in makes an impact on the wider world. Our research is focused on activity that creates and applies knowledge for the benefit of society, culture and the economy. Research from Northumbria permeates across all areas of our everyday lives.

This special supplement of Northumbria University News has been produced to highlight some of our areas of excellent research and bring to life some of the impact we have had on the wider world. We have much to be proud of.

Research from Northumbria has helped to shape improvements in patient care and the educational attainment of schoolchildren. We were the first to harness the power of solar energy and are working to reduce the costs involved in utilising solar power. Our researchers have uncovered the secret health benefits of a host of natural, herbal and man made products and they have worked with countless businesses to develop and test new product ideas that have improved their profitability.