Uni of Adelaide a "powerhouse" of world-class research

At the University of Adelaide, 19 out of 22 research discipline areas (86%) have been rated at or above world standard by the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) process.
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Monday, 31 January 2011

The University of Adelaide's position as an Australian leader in research has been confirmed with today's release of the results of the first Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) process.

ERA is a Federal Government initiative to assess the research quality at universities across Australia, using a combination of measures on researchers, research outputs, research income, reputation and other measures.

At the University of Adelaide, 19 out of 22 research discipline areas (86% of them) have been rated at or above world standard by the ERA.

"This is an outstanding result for the University that confirms our position as an Australian leader in research," says the University's Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor James McWha.

"Our well-recognised status as a world-class centre for agricultural science, focused at the Waite Campus, has been further verified by the ERA process, along with our research in physical and medical/health sciences," he says.

Specific research areas at the University of Adelaide that have been rated at the highest level include: Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine, Oncology and Carcinogenesis, Geology, Astronomical and Space Sciences, Evolutionary Biology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Plant Biology, Optical Physics, and Performing Arts and Creative Writing.

Other areas that have performed highly include: Law, Philosophy, Civil Engineering, Pure Mathematics, Dentistry, Anthropology, Immunology and Genetics.

"As one of the smaller research-intensive universities, we have clearly shown our capacity to generate high-quality research outcomes that are commensurate with our Group of Eight (Go8) status," Professor McWha says.

"Our ERA results are well in line with the University's understanding of and investment in our research strengths. Establishing dedicated research Institutes and Centres and building on our strengths has ensured that the University is well placed to continue as a powerhouse of research.

"Many of our research programs are also integrated into learning and teaching, giving our students the opportunity to work beside and learn from some of our most respected and innovative researchers.

"A key to our success is the University's ability to attract the best researchers from Australia and overseas and provide them with the infrastructure and support to achieve great research outcomes," he says.

Research discipline areas* at the University of Adelaide rated well above world standard:

• Physical Sciences
  
• Earth Sciences
  
• Environmental Sciences
  
• Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
  
• Medical and Health Sciences (Biomedical and Clinical Health)
  
• Creative Arts and Writing

Research discipline areas at the University of Adelaide rated above world standard:

• Biological Sciences
  
• Medical and Health Sciences (Public and Allied Health)
  
• Law and Legal Studies
  
• Philosophy and Religious Studies

Research discipline areas at the University of Adelaide rated at world standard:

• Mathematical Sciences
  
• Chemical Sciences
  
• Information and Computing Sciences
  
• Engineering
  
• Economics
  
• Studies in Human Society
  
• Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
  
• Language, Communication and Culture
  
• History and Archaeology

*Two-digit Field of Research (FoR) areas only. For full details of all research disciplines and sub-disciplines and their ERA ratings, see the Group of Eight (Go8) comparison attachment (in PDF format).

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