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Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine REF2021 Results

12 May 2022

The Faculty’s mission is to deliver world leading education and research in the biomedical and health sciences. Our international reputation is well established: King’s is positioned 12th globally in the ‘Clinical, Pre-Clinical and Health’ disciplinary table by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022. The QS World University Rankings 2022 by Faculty position us 16th for Life Sciences and Medicine.

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the current framework exercise, developed by the UK higher education funding bodies, to provide accountability for public investment in research and to inform the selective allocation of these funds.

The Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine’s REF2021 return included 482 members of staff (98 more staff than our REF2014 submission) against 6 Unit of Assessments (UoAs).

Overall 4*/3* percentages:
UoA1
94%
UoA2
94%
UoA3
95%
UoA5
83%
UoA12
95%
UoA24
96%

 

In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2021) submission:

  • 93 per cent of our research overall was deemed either ‘world leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*)
  • 98 per cent of our research environment was deemed either 4* or 3*
  • 94 per cent of our research impact was deemed either 4* or 3*
  • 92 per cent of our research outputs were deemed either 4* or 3 *
research lab

Summary of results:

REF Unit of Assessment

Academic Areas with FoLSM

FTE Cat A

4*

3*

2*

1*

UC

1 Clinical Medicine

Immunology & Microbial Sciences (63.3fte); Cancer (36.4fte); Cardiovascular Medicine (45.3fte); Genetics(19.95fte); Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine(11fte); and Dermatology (6fte)

- 191 members of staff
- 182 FTE

56

38

5

1

0

2 Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care

Population Health & Environmental Sciences

- 41 members of staff
- 33.75 FTE*

44

50

5

0

1

3 Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (30.4fte),
Life Course Sciences (75.3fte)

- 118 members of staff
- 224.6 FTE**

70

25

4

1

0

5 Biological Sciences

Randall Centre of Cell & Molecular Biology

- 35 members of staff
- 27.5 FTE***

39

44

16

0

1

12 Engineering

Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering

- 80 members of staff
- 98.4 FTE****

51

44

5

0

0

24 Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism

Centre for Human & Applied Physiological Sciences

- 17 members of staff
- 14.8 FTE

75

21

2

0

2

* the total number of King’s staff submitted to UoA 2 was 48 (38.85 FTE), including staff from other faculties.

**the total number of King’s staff submitted to UoA 3 was 43 (224.6 FTE), including staff from other faculties.

*** the total number of King’s staff submitted to UoA 5 was 38 (30.5 FTE), including staff from other faculties.

**** the total number of King’s staff submitted to UoA 12 was 103 (30.5 FTE), including staff from other faculties

Detailed results:

REF Unit of Assessment

No. of Submissions

GPA Ranking

Power Ranking

% of 4* Rank

% of 4* & 3* Rank

Overall % of 4* & 3*

1 Clinical Medicine

31

8th

7th

8th

5th

94%

2 Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care

33

16th

18th

16th

13th

94%

3 Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

89

1st

1st

1st

12th

95%

5 Biological Sciences

42

29th

30th

23rd

30th

83%

12 Engineering

88

12th

27th

12th

26th

95%

24 Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism

61

4th

32nd

2nd

9th

96%

Summary of ranking:

REF Unit of Assessment

Profile

GPA Ranking

Power Ranking

4*

3*

2*

1*

UC

1 Clinical Medicine


Outputs

   

42.0

47.6

9.5

0.2

0.7

Impact

   

65.0

35.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Environment

   

100.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Overall

8th

9th

56

38

5

1

0

2 Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care

Outputs

   

41.8

50.5

5.5

1.1

1.1

Impact

   

75.0

25.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Environment

   

0.0

87.5

12.5

0.0

0.0

Overall

16th

18th

44.0

50.0

5.0

0

0

3 Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Outputs

   

55.6

36.5

6.9

0.4

0.6

Impact

   

86.4

13.6

0.0

0.0

0.0

Environment

   

100.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Overall

1st

1st

70.0

25.0

4.0

1.0

0.0

5 Biological Sciences


Outputs

   

42.3

43.6

12.7

0.0

1.4

Impact

   

33.3

33.4

33.3

0.0

0.0

Environment

   

37.5

62.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

Overall

29th

30th

39.0

44.0

16.0

0.0

1.0

12 Engineering


Outputs

   

45.1

47.3

7.2

0.4

0.0

Impact

   

75.0

25.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Environment

   

37.5

62.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

Overall

12th

27th

51.0

44.0

5.0

0.0

0.0

24 Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism


Outputs

   

64.7

29.4

3.0

0.0

2.9

Impact

   

100.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Environment

   

75.0

25.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Overall

4th

32nd

75.0

21.0

2.0

0.0

2.0

The Grade Point Average represents an average score (out of four) for the submission to a unit of assessment and is derived by multiplying the percentage of the submission at each of the levels (4*, 3*, 2*, 1*) by the number of the star ranking and dividing by 100.

The Power Ranking is calculated by multiplying the grade point average by the number of full time equivalent staff (FTE)

  • UoA 1 - Clinical Medicine
    Scored 100% 4* for environment and ranked 5th out of 31 submissions in terms of the proportion of our overall submission that was ranked 4* or 3*.
  • UoA 2 - Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care
    Improved GPA to 3.36, top 10 for 4* impact and ranked 13th in the United Kingdom in terms of the proportion of the submission ranked at 4* and 3*.
  • UoA 3 - Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy
    Overall, this submission is ranked 1st out of 89 submissions in terms of the proportion overall percentage was ranked 4*, GPA and Power Ranking. 100% 4* in environment and increased 27.8% in 4* overall.
  • UoA 5 - Biological Sciences
    Improved GPA to 3.2 Overall, ranked 18th of 42 submissions in terms of GPA Ranking for Environment.
  • UoA 12 - Engineering
    Ranked ninth in terms of the output proportion of our submission ranked at 4* and ranked 12th out of 88 submissions overall.
  • UoA 24 - Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism
    Ranked 4th on GPA and ranked 2nd out of 61 submissions in terms of the proportion of our overall submission that was ranked 4*. Also scored 100% 4* on Impact, highest overall percentage of 4* in KCL at 75%.

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