REF 2021: Security and Crime Science and STEaPP ‘world-leading’ research recognised

Research from UCL Security and Crime Science and UCL Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) has been recognised as ‘world-leading’ in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF), with our submission ranking 7^th in the UK for ‘world-leading’ research in Social Work and Social Policy.

In total, 87 per cent of research from UCL Security and Crime Science and UCL STEaPP was graded 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (internationally excellent’), up from 84 per cent in the last assessment in 2014. Overall, our research received a GPA (Grade Point Average) of 3.39 (out of 4) up from a GPA of 3.15 in 2014.

UCL Security and Crime Science and UCL STEaPP were part of a joint submission for the Social Work and Social Policy panel. Our departments include several co-located researchers, research students and selected staff to enable strategic joint activities, including an EPSRC-funded CDT in Cybersecurity (led by Computer Science). This is the first REF exercise that UCL STEaPP has participated in since its founding as a department in 2013.

The REF is carried out approximately every six to seven years to assess the quality of research across 157 UK universities and to share how this research benefits society both in the UK and globally.

UCL as an institution was ranked 2^nd in the UK for research power, which combines the quality ratings with the size of the submission, with 93 per cent of research graded 4* ‘world leading’ and 3* ‘internationally excellent’. A total of 3,432 UCL academics were submitted to this REF process across 32 subject units.

Professor Shane Johnson (Security and Crime Science) – who led the submission – said: “We are particularly delighted that the panel felt that we had transformed our research environment from 100 per cent 'internationally excellent’ in 2014 to 87.5 per cent ‘world-leading’ (and 12.5 per cent ‘internationally excellent’) in 2021. This places us joint 6^th in the Unit of Assessment on this dimension of the exercise and recognises our delivery of an ambitious strategy that included a very successful EPSRC-funded interdisciplinary PhD programme (63 students graduated in the REF 2021 period), a substantial portfolio of grant income, new infrastructure (e.g. the Jill Dando Institute Secure Data-lab is the only lab of its kind in the UK), and the delivery of real-world impact that has led to demonstrable reductions in crime. We are very proud of our staff and what they do and it is a delight to see their efforts rewarded in the REF 2021 assessment”.