A new ERA for UQ discovery

Views: 4,514 views. Comments: No Comment.
Tags: discovery, ERA, rankings, winter-2011

In a spectacular result, UQ has been assessed above world standard in more broad fields of research than any other Australian university.

The inaugural Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) exercise rated 21 broad fields of UQ discovery at well above and above world standard (the highest two ratings). (Read Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and International) Professor Alan Lawson’s perspectives here).

Run by the Australian Research Council (ARC), ERA is the first assessment of its kind in Australia to evaluate research in higher education institutions using a combination of indicators and expert review.

ERA evaluates research in eight discipline clusters, identifying areas that are internationally competitive, and those where there are opportunities for development and further investment.

The 2010 ERA round captured research undertaken between 2003 and 2008, with the ARC publishing the much-awaited results in February.

In ERA’s broad categories, UQ’s research in biomedical and clinical health sciences, biotechnology, engineering, biological sciences, environmental sciences, chemical sciences, and physical sciences was rated well above world standard (rating 5).

The broad fields of research in which UQ was rated at above world standard (4) were: economics, education, law and legal studies, history and archaeology, technology (engineering and environment), mathematical sciences, philosophy and religious studies, language, communication and culture, studies in creative arts and writing, built environment and design, psychology and cognitive sciences, studies in human society, medical and health sciences (public and allied health), and commerce, management, tourism and services.

None of UQ’s broad research areas were rated lower than world standard (3).

Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield said credit for UQ’s impressive results went to researchers and support staff, who had demonstrated they could match the world’s best.

“ERA shows that outstanding quality is a hallmark of researchers in all of UQ’s major fields,” Professor Greenfield said.

“The outcome also reflects the impact of strategic investments in UQ discovery by the Queensland and Australian governments, philanthropists, business and the University itself.”

The ERA results confirm UQ as one of the nation’s most comprehensive research universities: it is active in 24 out of a possible 25 broad fields of research.

Only two other universities — Melbourne and Sydney — matched this assessment.

“UQ’s goal is for all its research fields to be well above or above world standard, and the ERA results will be used to lift performance in areas that show room for improvement,” Professor Greenfield said.

In the 101 specialised categories in which UQ was assessed, 97 were rated at world standard or above.

The University’s engineering research was one of many stand-out areas. It received only the most prestigious ratings – scoring well above or above world standard – in all nine fields in which it was assessed.

Twenty-eight of UQ’s specialised research areas were in the top band (full list below), with a further 42 assessed at above world standard.

UQ scored well above or above world standard rankings in all categories in physical sciences (four categories), education (four categories), language communication and culture (four categories), and technology (three categories).

UQ medical and health sciences put in a particularly strong showing, with research in cardiovascular medicine and haematology and neurosciences rated well above world standard.

In biological science, five categories were judged to be at the highest level: ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics, plant biology and zoology.

UQ’s specialised areas rated at above world standard include oceanography, information systems, architecture, urban and regional planning, curriculum and pedagogy, accounting/auditing and accountability, marketing, anthropology, archaeology, political science, social work, psychology, cognitive sciences, law, art theory and criticism, performing arts and creative writing, communication and media studies, linguistics, literary studies, and history.

The next ERA assessment will be conducted in 2012, covering research output from 2005–2010.

By Fiona Cameron

UQ’s highest-ranked fields of research (specialised fields)

Specialised fields at UQ acknowledged as “well above world standard” are:

• Astronomical and space sciences
• Banking, finance and investment
• Business management
• Cardiovascular medicine and haematology
• Cultural studies
• Ecological applications
• Ecology
• Economic theory
• Environmental biotechnology
• Environmental engineering
• Evolutionary biology
• Genetics
• Industrial biotechnology
• Macromolecular and materials chemistry
• Materials engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Medicinal and biomolecular chemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Neurosciences
• Numerical and computational mathematics
• Plant biology
• Quantum physics
• Resources engineering and extractive metallurgy
• Sociology
• Specialist studies in education
• Statistics
• Theoretical and computational chemistry
• Zoology

• Home
• Graduate Contact
• Alumni Profiles
• Global Education: Divining world trends