Website: www.bham.ac.uk

University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham is a large civic University, a member of the Russell Group, with over 100 years of history behind it. It is a research-intensive university with an income from research in 2007/08 of £136m, of which £92m was derived from research grants and contracts income. The Quality Research settlement for 2009/2010 is in the region of £45m.

The University reorganised during 2007/08 into 5 Colleges, which between them cover a broad range of subjects, providing excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary research. The Colleges are:

• Arts and Law - which submitted to 16 Units of Assessment in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise across areas including Languages, Area Studies and Arts & Humanities. Particular areas of strength include Music, History of Art and Law. Cross-disciplinary themes include Heritage, Governance, Text and Communication, Conflict Studies and Europe
• Engineering and Physical Sciences - The College includes computer science, mathematics, physics and chemistry, and 5 Engineering Schools (Civil Engineering; Chemical Engineering; Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering and Metallurgy & Materials). Particular areas of strength include Physics, Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, Materials and Metallurgy. Cross-disciplinary themes include Advanced Materials and Sustainable Energy, especially Hydrogen
• Life and Environmental Sciences - The College includes Biosciences, Geography Earth and Environmental Sciences, Psychology and Sports Exercise. The latter two are areas of particular strength. Key themes are Cognitive Neuroscience; Environment and Health; Water; Microbiology; Organisms and Environment and Lifelong Health and Well-being
• Medical and Dental Sciences - which submitted to 8 of the 9 medical panels. These included areas of particular strength in Cancer Studies, Primary Care and Health Services. Research focuses on five principal themes of Cancer; Cardiovascular Sciences; Hormones and Genes; Immunity and Infection; Community Sciences
• Social Sciences - which includes Business, Economics, Education, Social Work, Area Studies from a Social Science perspective, Politics and Sociology. There are particular areas of strength in European Studies and Social Work. Key themes for research are: Global Communications and Knowledge Societies; Governance; Children & Family; Security; Development and Sustainability; Europe

This diagram, which is taken from the University's Research and Knowledge Transfer Strategy represents the research and knowledge transfer challenges where the University believes it can make an impact.

Coverage

The university submitted in 49 Units of Assessment for the RAE. About 24,000 publications were sent to Evidence for the REF pilot.