University of Sydney research shines in ERA results
The results, published in the ARC’s 2018 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), represent a further improvement on the 2015 report, with particular gains achieved in engineering, econometrics, chemical sciences and environmental sciences.
Across all fields – spanning the humanities, information and computing sciences, life sciences, mathematics, medical and health sciences, physical sciences and social sciences – outstanding results confirmed the ambition and scale of research excellence at the University of Sydney.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Duncan Ivison welcomed the report’s confirmation that the University continues to make a significant contribution to Australia’s quality research output.
Our outstanding results in ERA 2018 clearly demonstrates the breadth and depth of research excellence at the University of Sydney.
“Through our faculties, schools, multidisciplinary initiatives and research centres, we’re pursuing new knowledge and understanding and tackling the grand challenges facing us today. Our researchers are leading the way in their fields, from tackling cardiovascular disease, to new technologies at the boundaries of science and engineering, to asking what it means to be human.
“I am very proud of the University’s high-quality research and the span of research excellence these ERA results demonstrate. They confirm we are not only aiming high but that we are achieving our goals.”
The Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Michael Spence, said: “These results are testament to the dedication of our academic staff and their focus on research excellence across the board. Congratulations to our researchers and professional staff, who are helping to ensure we are one of the world’s very best universities.”
The ARC report, its fourth into Excellence in Research for Australia, provides a comprehensive assessment of the quality and breadth of university research. It measures the quality of research against national and international benchmarks.
In the 2018 report ERA rated 22 broad fields of research and 99 specialised fields of research at the University of Sydney from 1 to 5: with 1 representing well below world standard; 2 representing below world standard; 3 representing world standard; 4, above world standard; and 5, well above world standard.
In the 22 broad fields of research, 11 achieved the top rating “well above world standard” and 11 were rated “above world standard”.
Among the evaluated specialised research fields, the University made gains across most disciplines, including econometrics and chemical engineering, which both went from a rating of 3 to 5. Among broad fields of research chemical sciences, environmental sciences and engineering increased in rating from 4 to 5.
