REF 2021

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine ranked among UK leaders for research impact in REF 2021

In our first independent REF submission, LSTM was recognised for the outstanding impact of our research, ranking 2nd in the UK across all disciplines.

According to Times Higher Education, our overall GPA placed us 12th out of 157 institutions nationally.

With joint 6th place in clinical medicine, we are ranked amongst some of the major research institutions in the UK, with a combined score of 60% in the outstanding category and 32% in the international excellence category. “I am delighted to see that this high ranking is not only a consequence of excellent impact of our work, but is also underpinned by a superb return on outputs, with nearly 50% of our publications scoring 4 * in our A1 submission.” said LSTM’s Director, Professor David Lalloo. ‘This shows that LSTM can deliver excellent research whilst maintaining a strong focus on research translation and uptake. As we move towards LSTM’s 125th anniversary year, this underpins our long-term mission of producing innovative science and translating it into interventions with real benefits for health among some of the world’s poorest populations.”

We also had a very strong return in our second, smaller, submission to ‘Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care (A2)’. All of our Impact Case Studies, and nearly 80% of our publications in this submission were judged as internationally excellent.

Professor Hilary Ranson, Dean of Research Culture and Integrity, and lead of LSTM’s REF2021 submission, recognised the contribution of all staff and students across the organisation, and our network of partners across the globe, in delivering this result: “This excellent outcome for our first independent REF submission is testament to the commitment of all across the organisation, and in our many international partnerships, to deliver on the mission of LSTM to improve health outcomes for disadvantaged populations; I am so pleased to see the hard work of all rewarded with this positive external recognition”

With LSTM returning 100% of eligible staff, including staff in seven countries in Africa and Asia, the results are a reflection of the impact of the work undertaken across the institution as well as within numerous partnerships across the world. The research in both submissions was greatly facilitated by long-standing partnerships with industry, the NHS in the UK, as well NGOs, Governments, Ministries of Health and academic partners across the world.