Research Excellence

World leading Research and Impact

In the most recent Research Excellence Framework exercise, the University achieved its best ever results. In REF2021 the University of Wolverhampton has significantly grown its research and submitted 4 new subject areas and 75% more staff than in REF2014. The results show that more than half of our research is judged as internationally excellent (3*) and world-leading (4*). Sixteen subject areas submitted had elements of world-leading research, amongst which featured research on changing perceptions of the Black Country, eliminating gender and race discrimination and improving health outcomes for all.

Impact Beyond Academia

At the University of Wolverhampton, we are passionate about making a positive impact on our students, our local community and beyond.  Through collaboration and multi-disciplinary projects, our research contributes to public debate, creates solutions to local, national and global challenges, and preserves and promotes cultural works of international significance.  By advancing knowledge, and bringing together excellence and innovation, we challenge perceptions and seek to change the world for the better. 

Visit our impact pages, Research News stories, or our Research Matters publication for more information.

Equality and Inclusivity

As the University of Opportunity, we are fully committed to promoting and enabling equality of opportunity and demonstrating inclusivity for all our staff and students.  Part of this commitment is to ensure we have a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) for the institution, which can be found here.  The University of Wolverhampton’s GEP aligns with the mandatory and recommended requirements of the Horizon Europe programme GEP.

Our REF2021 submission was not only the largest but also the most inclusive submission we made to date. This was recognised by the assessors who commented on our commitment to, and progress with, equality, diversity and inclusion. 

Research and Engagement

Across the University, there is a growing number of dedicated Research Centres that cover a variety of research topics - ranging from designing for people with dementia, to new discoveries in diabetes. Working with commercial and civil society partners, as well as producing first-class research outputs, they bring together scholars in a programme of research projects, conferences/seminars, and knowledge exchanges.

Visit the Research Centres webpage for more information.

Postgraduate Research
The contribution of our postgraduate research students helps to enrich our research community. To find out more about some of the research projects being undertaken by our research students, visit the meet our postgraduate researchers webpage.
 
All of our postgraduate research students studying in the UK or abroad, part-time or full-time, are all part of their Faculty and the Doctoral College community. Established in 2013, the Doctoral College supports all staff and student researchers at the University. To find out more about the Doctoral College, visit www.wlv.ac.uk/doctoralcollege.
Research Services

Research Services advises, guides and supports research strategic and operational priorities and activities of academic staff with Significant Responsibility for Research within the University’s Faculties and Institutes across the range of their business and the academic mission of the University:

  • Research Impact & Excellence
  • Research Systems & Operations
  • Research Integrity & Governance
  • Bidding Support
  • Research Development
University of Wolverhampton Lectures

Our public lectures give University and visiting speakers the chance to talk about their research to staff, students and members of the public. With free entry, they provide the perfect opportunity to discuss intriguing and topical matters with the speaker and other members of the audience.

Recent high profile lectures have covered subjects as wide-ranging as the resurgence of the far right, sport psychology, Brexit, turning plastic waste into usable materials, terrorism in the twenty-first century and our annual , which in 2018 gave the stage to guest speaker Henri Obstfeld who shared his testimony as a Holocaust survivor.

Visit the University of Wolverhampton Lecture Series webpage for more information.