Dundee's RAE score soars

The University of Dundee's performance in the latest national research assessment exercise is one of the most impressive in the UK, improving its position in relation to other universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by more than almost any other university.

Now the challenge is to build on that international research excellence, to assist in putting it to good application and to use it to attract the highest calibre staff and students to Dundee from across the world. Principal Sir Alan Langlands said: "The University is performing better than ever in its history. These awards have been most rigorously conducted with international panels examining each area. Dundee's contribution to knowledge in subjects such as medicine, dentistry, mathematics, civil engineering, history, law and life sciences is now internationally competitive."

The University doubled the number of its top scoring departments in the RAE and now has 95% of researchers working in areas of international and national excellence. One quarter of research staff now work in departments rated 5 star - the highest rating for international excellence. Half are working in grade 5 and above.

Departments rated 5 star or 5 have increased from four to eight. They are:

Biological sciences 5*
Clinical laboratory sciences 5*
Hospital based clinical subjects 5
Clinical dentistry 5
Applied Mathematics 5
Civil engineering 5
Law 5
History 5

According to the Times Higher Education Supplement analysis, the University of Dundee leapfrogged 11 places up the UK RAE league table to 33 - an improvement beaten only by Manchester- and firmly placing Dundee in Scotland's top four universities.

Sir Alan congratulated all those involved: "Staff in every part of the university have worked tirelessly to achieve success - they should be proud of this fine portfolio of ratings. When excellence extends across such a range of disciplines it can be contentious to single out any one area for special comment but we can all share pride in the fact that the five rating for dentistry now ranks Dundee as the best in Scotland. "

At the medical school, for every unit of assessment, including community based clinical subjects, to have improved by at least two grades is unprecedented.

The cluster of excellence in medicine and life sciences means that we have real critical mass. Traditional disciplinary boundaries are melting away as pure science, the understanding of human physiology, medicine, dentistry and applied mathematics increasingly cross over and develop synergies.

Progress on DNA array technology, applied mathematics and informatics are bringing new analytical tools to bear on the vast amounts of information now available both at a biological and a patient level. This will push back the frontiers of knowledge and improve the delivery of health care at both the individual and population level.

The department of history celebrated their first Christmas as a grade 5 department. One of the strongest in the country for 18th century historical studies, it is unique in combining the contributions of professors of Scottish art and architecture. A major research project on the significance of Dundee as a "laboratory of industrialisation" in Britain also played a key part in the success.

Law's research rating also rose to grade 5. Developments in international water law research, the University's unique charity law research unit designed to help the voluntary sector and its advisers and the global role of the centre for energy petroleum and mineral law and policy which has advised a range of governments and commercial enterprises on complex issues have all contributed to progress in this area.

Civil engineering maintained its grade 5 status, adding the centre for enterprise management as well as a geotechnical engineering research group to a range of first class research activities including concrete technology, construction management, fluid mechanics and structural engineering.

Sir Alan: "Our capacity to undertake fundamental research in many areas will continue to grow and the creative talents of staff and students at Duncan of Jordanstone and in the humanities will play a key role in the cultural development of Scotland where they have already achieved so much."

The full table of RAE results can be viewed at http://www.somis.dundee.ac.uk/rae/rae2001/

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