World-leading research ranks RNCM highest of UK music colleges

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has announced the outcomes of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), ranking the RNCM as the UK’s leading music college for research.

The REF is a peer review exercise which evaluates the quality of research in UK higher education institutions through three categories: Research Outputs, Impact, and Research Environment. The RNCM submission for the Impact category was rated at 100%, four star, which is world-leading, and 75% of research activity has been rated as being of world-leading or international quality.

Professor Linda Merrick, RNCM Principal, said: ‘This is an outstanding result. The REF outcomes are a fitting reward for our dedicated staff. We are extremely pleased with our REF performance, and anticipate a positive funding announcement in 2015 in recognition of this work.

‘Artistic innovation and research is vital to the College, its student community, and the international scholarly and artistic community. The College’s strategic plan, RNCM 2020, describes bold aspirations for the development of its role in the coming years in artistic innovation and research. This outcome creates an excellent platform for our future research developments.’

18 December 2014