Research evaluation shows UTS on course to be a world-leading university of technology

Results from the Australian Government’s 2015 Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) confirm that UTS is well on the way to achieve its vision of becoming a world-leading university of technology.

UTS Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Glenn Wightwick, says that the results demonstrate an increase in the quality of research at UTS, with 67 per cent of our research at the two-digit (discipline) level classified ‘above world standard’ or ‘well above world standard’, which is up from 28 per cent in the 2012 assessment.

“UTS has had an upward curve in research excellence over the past five years and it is gratifying this has been confirmed in the recent ERA assessments,” said Professor Wightwick.

“To have 94 per cent of our research classified as ‘at world standard’ and two-thirds of that to be ‘above world standard’ is a great result.

“UTS has increased the number of areas classified as ‘well above world standard’, the highest assessment in the broad areas of chemical sciences, environmental sciences, agricultural, veterinary sciences and economics, statistics, macromolecular and materials chemistry, physical chemistry, genetics, biomedical engineering, human movement and sports science and nursing.”

This is the third ERA, conducted by the Australian Research Council (ARC) to provide an assessment of research excellence within the Australian university sector. The data informs the government’s strategic research investment decision-making process.

Professor Wightwick says that while the results are encouraging, UTS will remain constant in its commitment to producing quality research that provides real-world solutions and great benefits for society.

“Our aim is to ensure all UTS’s research is underpinned by excellence and, at the same time, has a focus on solving real-world problems with academic expertise,” said Professor Wightwick. “An example of this is macromolecular and materials chemistry, where our researchers are developing advanced battery technology in portable electronics and electric vehicles in a bid to boost clean renewable energy technologies.

“Another area where we are making an impact on our global communities includes human movement and sports science, where UTS researchers are assisting French athletes prepare for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games held in tropical Rio De Janeiro.

“We believe that for universities to maintain their relevance, we need to make sure we are ready to look beyond today's solutions and be ready for what lies ahead,” says Professor Wightwick.

“Excellence in academic research must have quality, impact and, increasingly, the ability to be agile and responsive to our changing world.”