World-leading Research
Making a difference
We are a world-class international university built on teaching excellence, leading-edge research, innovation, collaboration and engagement.
Our Strategy 2030 vision 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.
STRATEGIC RESEARCH THEMES
A transformative and sustainable economy |
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Secure connected intelligence – AI and the data revolution |
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A healthy future for all |
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Human environment relations |
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Inclusive and cohesive communities |
RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS
43rd most impactful university globally in tackling the UN Sustainable Development Goals
(THE Impact Rankings 2021)
Joint 1st in the UK for Research Intensity
(Complete University Guide 2021)
15 subjects in the global top 200
(QS World Rankings 2020)
#1 University in the UK for entrepreneurial impact
(Entrepreneurial Impact Ranking, Octopus Venues 2020)
A vibrant 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.
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.
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.
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 one University for Entrepreneurial Impact (Octopus Ventures 2020), 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.
We remain number one in the UK for our participation in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), engaging with businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity.
Queen's Research in Europe
WORKING COLLABORATIVELY ACROSS EUROPE
We deliver a significant level of research and impact, through engagement with our valued European partners, making vast advances in European research tackling global issues.
To date, we have engaged in more than 85 Horizon 2020 projects, across 70 countries and in more than 600 collaborations.
Find out more about our EU projects, partners and doctoral programmes.
Postgraduate Research
We aim to seek out and nurture outstanding postgraduate research students, and provide world-class training within a thriving research culture across a number of disciplines.
The Graduate School at Queen’s facilitates intellectual challenge beyond disciplinary borders, personal effectiveness and skills development, promoting a culture of opportunity and enterprise, and a rich, diverse, inclusive social community.
We have a range of 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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Our research