research

In 2007/08 the East Midlands universities

• Received over £190m in research funding. (The Impact of the Recession on East Midlands HEIs).
• Were awarded over 1100 PhDs in 2007/08. (HESA)

The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 highlighted that:

• 86% of University research in the region is of international importance.
• 14% of the research is classified as world-leading (4*).
• Three units of assessment were placed in the top position in the country:
  • Museum Studies at the University of Leicester
  • Pharmacy at The University of Nottingham
  • Design and Technology at Loughborough University.
• Over three and a half thousand (FTE) staff were active in research.

With over four hundred research centres and institutes focusing on specific research themes, the regions universities are perfectly placed to undertake cutting-edge research, across a wide range of subject areas.

Particular research strengths across the region include Engineering and Science, Healthcare and Bioscience, Communications, Cultural and Media Studies, Business and Management Studies, and English Language and Literature. Museum Studies was identified as having the highest proportion of world-leading researchers compared with any other subject area in the UK.

The regions' universities are particularly well equipped to support the RDA in meeting the challenges laid out by the Government in the New Industries New Jobs (NINJ) strategy. The HEIs are working closely with the RDA and the Innovation Networks (iNets) to encourage economic regrowth, and have valuable contributions to make in all areas but in particular in relation to the regionally important sectors of Healthcare, Transport, Sustainable Construction and Low Carbon Technologies.