Research at Lancaster

The quality, reach and significance of research produced in Lancaster University's vibrant research environment is world-leading.

A staff member uses an X-ray diffraction machine in Chemistry.

91%

91% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

95%

95% of Lancaster's research has 4* 'outstanding' impact or 3* 'very considerable' reach and significance.

88%

88% of Lancaster's research is rated 4* 'world leading' or 3* 'internationally excellent' for outputs.

REF 2021

The UK Government's Research Excellence Framework (REF) confirms Lancaster as a home of world-leading research.

REF 2021 rated 99% of Lancaster's overall research environment as 4* 'world leading' or 3* 'internationally excellent'. This includes support and training of research students, research integrity, equality and diversity, as well as facilities available to support research.

REF 2021 results

Find Lancaster University research

Our research directory allows you to search for specific people or publications or find a list of our research groups.

Research Directory

Two people in a laboratory in the Engineering Building.

Sustainability across Lancaster's research

Academics and researchers from across Lancaster University are working to address the climate emergency in diverse ways.

Professor Jess Davies

60 Seconds with... Professor Jess Davies from Lancaster Environment Centre. Jess is the Director of Centre for Global Eco-Innovation and a Professor of Sustainability who specialises in the role of land and soils in creating sustainable food, climate and water futures. In this video, Jess explains how her work with carbon capture in soil, could help solve the Climate Emergency.

Dr Michael Stead

60 Seconds with... Dr Michael Stead. Michael is a Lecturer in Sustainable Design from Imagination Lancaster, our open and exploratory design research lab. His work aims to develop innovative design approaches and tools in collaboration with industry, policymakers and the public to raise awareness and support adopting sustainable and equitable data-driven technologies and related practices.

Victoria Simpson

60 Seconds with... Victoria Simpson, a Psychology PhD student at Lancaster University. Here she explains more about her research into the barriers to being vegan and how this impacts children's diet choices.

Dr Celine Germond-Duret

60 Seconds with... Dr Celine Germond-Duret, a Lecturer in Environmental Politics and Policy in the department at Lancaster University. Celine is interested in marine policy and the blue economy, international climate politics, and indigenous peoples.

Dr Xiao Hua

60 Seconds with... Dr Xiao Hua, a lecturer in Chemistry at Lancaster University. Xiao’s work focuses on electric car batteries and how to make them more efficient and go for longer to reduce the need to charge them as much.

Professor Heather Brown

60 Seconds with... Professor Heather Brown, a Professor of Heath Inequalities at Lancaster University. Heather’s work focuses on understanding how both structural level factors and policy impacts on health inequalities across generations.

Professor Adrian Friday

60 Seconds with... Professor Adrian Friday, a Professor of Computing and Sustainability at Lancaster University. Adrian’s work focuses on understanding the carbon footprint of digital systems.

Dr Catherine Oliver

60 Seconds with... Dr Catherine Oliver from the Sociology department at Lancaster University. Here she explains how her work and research will help the climate emergency and positively impact society.

Professor Jan Bebbington

60 Seconds with... Professor Jan Bebbington, Director of the Pentland Centre research centre at Lancaster University. Jan’s work focuses on the intersection between accounting tools/techniques and social/environmental issues: now captured under the Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Dermot O’Reilly

60 Seconds with... Dr Dermot O’Reilly, a senior lecturer in Management Learning and Leadership at Lancaster University. Dermot’s work focuses on the implementation of sustainable thinking into organisations and business decisions.

Dr Ana Costa

60 Seconds with... Dr Ana Costa - a senior lecturer in at Lancaster University. In this video, she explains how her work is focusing on the re-use of materials in construction to reduce the carbon footprint of building work.