The Government’s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) rates the quality of all research in UK universities. The latest assessment (2008) rated 70% of Kingston University’s research submissions as excellent at international level. This assessment has meant the University’s research grant from the Higher Education Funding Body for England has nearly tripled this year.

Under the new rating system, 12 of the 18 units we submitted achieved between five and 15% at 4*, denoting world-leading research. A full list of the 2008 ratings is on the RAE website.

Strengths flagged for individual units of assessment include:

— Computer Science and Informatics4 (23) – developing staff; collaboration with industry and users and Art and Design11 (63) – indications of sustainability and esteem.

Research in the Computing and Informatics category was well-rated in the recent Research Assessment Exercise. Overall, 80% of research activity was judged to be at an international level or higher with 5% judged world leading. In fact compared with other HE institutions, the Faculty's Computing and Informatics research has made one of the most substantial jumps in position in RAE2008 ranking tables. In particular, CISM is recognised as a world-leading player in research in intelligent visual surveillance. Our Digital Imaging Research Centre, a centre of excellence for research, has nearly twenty researchers working including academics, visiting professors and researchers, making it one of the largest centres in this topic worldwide.

During the past few years, the University has also supervised many research degree students undertaking projects such as curating contemporary design; film and television screen design; e-commerce; innovation and entrepreneurship; creative industries and the creative economy.