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Research

We’re one of the UK's leading research universities and the quality and impact of our research is reflected in our rankings. We performed strongly in the most recent Government Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014:
  • 7th overall in the UK (based on multi-faculty institutions)
  • 4 of our departments ranked as the leading academic departments for outputs (publications) in the country
  • 19 departments are in the UK top ten in their unit of assessment based on output
  • 87% of our research is 'world-leading' (3*) or 'internationally excellent' (4*)

Impact

Through our research and its impact, we are producing transformative solutions to the multidisciplinary global challenges of today and the future. Our research is changing the world, making lives healthier, safer, more resilient and more fulfilled.
Positively impacting youth mental health

Warwick Medical School research has shown that rapid access to mental health treatment at the onset of psychosis can dramatically improve recovery. Our researchers designed the UK's first radical reform in youth mental health care in Birmingham, developing a service with a core focus on early intervention. This has since been replicated across 10 cities, benefiting more than eight million people.

Illuminating the cinema projectionist

Our Film and TV researchers are bringing to light the role and mass redundancy of the cinema projectionist. An interactive online archive is enabling visitors to explore interviews and historical documents conducted and discovered by the project team.

The site also allows younger visitors to explore a 'Virtual Projection Box', giving a feel of what it was like to be a projectionist. Photographic exhibitions from the research have highlighted hidden forms of labour and creativity in the film industry and helped audiences to think differently about the impact of digital technology in the cinema.

Combating infectious disease

Our Maths researchers are investigating the most effective ways to protect against infectious disease. Their findings are used by policymakers to help deliver the best and most cost-effective protection against diseases including whooping cough, influenza and human papillomavirus (HPV).

Using mathematical modelling and health economics, our team tested which vaccination strategies work best. Working closely with the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, our research directly influenced the Government's decision in 2018 to extend the HPV vaccination to teenage boys in England.

Migration to Europe

Our social scientists have engaged with policymakers across Europe to inform official responses to the Mediterranean 'migration crisis'. The research team spoke to more than 250 migrants and refugees to understand better the journeys they have made across the Mediterranean Sea. They found that many people were forced to resort to precarious journeys, and that safe and legal routes to the EU are required in order that the policy agenda can move forward in a positive direction. The research has also improved public understanding of the issue, through an interactive online story map visualising the stories and journeys of 'people on the move'.

Effective drug delivery

Medherant, a spin-out company from Warwick research has produced and patented transdermal patches which provide targeted delivery of a drug directly through the skin at a consistent dose rate. The patches will improve patient experience, enhance safety and bring economic benefits to healthcare. Based on the University of Warwick Science Park, Medherant successfully completed phase one clinical trials with ibuprofen, and is now expanding its research to develop medicinal cannabinoid patches and delivery solutions for drugs to combat Alzheimer's Disease.

Supporting NASA to maintain space leadership

Warwick Business School research has informed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center's business and organisational strategies, enabling it to maintain international excellence in a rapidly-expanding space exploration sector. NASA has had to balance exploration of new technologies and exploitation of its existing technologies, along with balancing innovation and efficiency. The research provided crucial insights into how NASA could become more adaptive to these challenges, and these insights shaped the way senior leaders saw the future direction of the organisation, leading them to embed agility as a central focus of NASA's strategy.