Scotland has an international reputation for excellent science and research.

We aim to maintain and grow our strength in these areas to create a more educated, inclusive and innovative Scotland.

Actions

We are supporting science and research in Scotland by:

Background

Scotland's reputation for excellent science and research is underpinned by the work that goes on at its universities.

Three of Scotland's universities are in the Top 200 of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2019 to 2020, per head of population, Scotland has more universities in the top 200 when compared to the Rest of the UK.

Researchers in Scotland's universities are responsible for many major discoveries and innovations, including the MRI scanner, the development of keyhole surgery, and the theory that first posited the existence of the Higgs-Boson particle.

Our long-term commitment to supporting the higher education sector has contributed to Scotland's universities achieving excellent results in the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2014).

The REF is conducted jointly by the:

  • Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)
  • Scottish Funding Council (SFC)
  • Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW)
  • Department of Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland (DELNI)

In REF2014, 77% of Scotland's university research was deemed 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent'. This is a greater percentage than for the UK as a whole.

In addition, 85.9% of Scottish research is judged to have an 'outstanding' or 'very considerable' impact on the economy, society and culture beyond academia, compared with 83.9% for the UK.

Contact

Email: ceu@gov.scot

Telephone: 0300 244 4000

Post:
Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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