8th
in the UK for Law
Research
We're committed to making a meaningful impact on the world
Researchers at Queen's help tackle the global challenges of our age, changing people’s lives for the better.
We are a world-class international university built on teaching excellence, leading-edge research, innovation, collaboration and engagement.
Queen’s has a proud history of conducting innovative, impactful and world-leading research that has positively changed people’s lives. Our ambition for 2030 is to further enhance our impact by strengthening our research position and working with industry to broaden our translational impact and innovation, ensuring we deliver high-quality, world-leading research, which addresses local and global challenges.
1st
in the UK for Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Sciences
4th
in the UK for Health and Biomedical Sciences
99%
of our research environment was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
* All stats taken from the latest REF 2021 results published on 12/05/2022.View our REF 2021 results
RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS
In the Top 200 most impactful universities globally in tackling the UN Sustainable Development Goals
(THE Impact Rankings 2024)
99% of our research environment is world-leading or internationally excellent
(REF 2021)
21 subjects in the global top 200
(QS World Rankings by subject 2025)
#2 University in the UK for entrepreneurial impact
(i2i University Spinout Ranking 2024)
Our local impact in Northern Ireland
We are proud of our record in working with local communities, businesses and policy makers to improve the lives and livelihoods of those who call Northern Ireland home.
We are committed to continuing to give back through our research locally. We lead and co-ordinate many projects with communities throughout Belfast and the wider region, conducted with and on behalf of the people.
Read about our research making a difference, in a range of areas such as shared education, healthcare, improving outcomes in disadvantaged communities, dealing with the past and supporting economic growth.
An inclusive and supportive Research Culture
Our research community is a vibrant hub for intellectual development, exchange and collaboration. We support, develop and nurture outstanding researchers to become research leaders of the future.
Our Fellowship programmes are designed to nurture high-potential early-career researchers, ensuring they are supported to contribute to a diversity of multidisciplinary research.
We are one of the leading UK universities in gender equality and are committed to promoting respect for diversity and inclusion, including greater awareness for LGBT+, racial and linguistic diversity.
Queen’s is a committed signatory of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and holds the EU HR Excellence in Research Award.
Driving Commercialisation and innovation
Queen’s has a strong track record in innovation and enterprise, turning R&D into economic impact.
We are the UK’s number two University for Entrepreneurial Impact (i2i University Spinout Ranking 2024), based on our effectiveness at commercialising research through spin-out companies relative to funding received.
Our spin-out portfolio has a combined annual turnover of £171 million and has created 2,700 jobs, with half of Northern Ireland’s public companies created at Queen’s, including Kainos Group Plc, Andor Technology and Fusion Antibodies Plc. Queen’s is ranked in the top 10 universities in the UK for number of spin out companies (Royal Academy of Engineering and Beauhurst, 2025).
We remain one of the leading providers of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) in the UK, engaging with businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity.
Supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals
Our researchers work across disciplines and sectors to address local and global challenges, incorporating the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We're making a difference on a global scale, framing our research and collaborations in ways that can contribute to delivering peace and prosperity for our changing world.
Through our research, we strive to change society for the better - whether that is connecting local individuals and communities, or contributing to international efforts to address global grand challenges such as climate change.
At the forefront of knowledge
Global research collaborations and academic alliances continue to grow and develop with leading institutions in America, China, India, the Middle East and Asia.
We host industry-led ‘competence centres’ in agri-food and sustainable energy, a state-of-the-art Precision Medicine Centre with Invest NI and the Belfast Health Trust, and the UK’s Innovation and Knowledge Centre for cyber-security (CSIT).
We are a lead partner in the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) to drive projects that will foster innovation across key sectors including data science, creative industries, advanced manufacturing and health.
We invest millions in the development of our research facilities to ensure that our staff, students and collaborators have the very best resources to help them in their work.
Delivering Positive Change
GLOBAL EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
Our research activity has global impact, and we continue to expand our reach through collaboration, building research partnerships to make a real difference to economies, societies and cultures across the world.
Collaborate with us or lead our research into the future, with access to international funding streams, cutting edge facilities, and professional support.
Postgraduate Research
Postgraduate Researchers at Queen’s undertake projects with real social impact while exploring their passions and progressing in their fields.
Our Graduate School provides a world class postgraduate experience, supporting research students, through a suite of training courses, events, networking, support and skills development. It provides a vibrant hub for intellectual exchange and collaboration.
Explore our PhD opportunities, research projects, supervisors and doctoral programmes.
Public Engagement with Research
Building on a track record for societal engagement and real world impact.
Queen’s has a long history of conducting innovative and world-leading research with partners in industry, government, public policy, social and healthcare, the arts and the voluntary sector, across these islands, and around the world.
Our academics' evidence-based research and ideas on the major social, cultural and economic challenges facing society regionally, nationally and beyond allows policymakers to make informed decisions about the most effective and sustainable ways to tackle these challenges, now and in the future.
We engage the public through participatory and collaborative research with communities, as well as the media, events and podcasts.
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Research Portal
Research Strategy
Our research