Research impact
Discover AUB’s Impact Case Studies submitted to REF 2021
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Our Research
Our flourishing research and scholarship culture celebrates and enables original investigation; extending knowledge fields and developing new understanding within the arts.
Our Research
Arts University Bournemouth's research impacts positively on society, industry and our stakeholders.
AUB’s outstanding results gained from REF 2021 demonstrate our continued desire to grow our research output, showcasing how work from across the creative sectors can have a huge impact on the world; from works of cultural and industrial significance, to that of work protecting and raising awareness for minority and under-represented groups in society.
More than 12% of the AUB’s research has now been classed as ‘world-leading’ with a further 42% being classed ‘internationally excellent’, according to REF 2021.
The University’s research activity includes online and digital work, as well as exhibitions, photography, museum curation and published work, and represents research across areas of art and design, performing arts, and film and screen studies.
Through its Research and Knowledge Exchange Plan, AUB will expand and deepen research with relevant aligned professions and industries in the UK and overseas. Our international renown in the application of specialist technical knowledge in modelmaking, future fashion technologies and diverse modern materials will be developed through adventurous schemes of knowledge transfer and exchange. Drawing on our unique archives and collections in materials such as plastics, we'll accelerate interaction with material scientists, environmentalists and industrial designers.
Drawing on our unique assets as a maker culture, underpinned by high-end, high-impact infrastructure and equipment, and informed by the disruptive possibilities of Industry 4.0, we'll create a Lab 4 Creative Technologies (L4CT) that physically and conceptually fuses our workshop expertise and other spatial assets with the ERDF Innovation Studio to create a Creative Technologies House, which will aim to accelerate our collaborative works across design, innovation and technology.
Research Groups
Our Research Network brings together a range of researchers, staff, postdoctoral and graduate students develop their common interests...
Research standards
Our Research Ethics Policy and Procedure document sets out the guiding principles for the development and conduct of research
Research Degrees
If you aspire to know your subject in greater depth or make a significant academic contribution, a research degree could be the answer
Archives and special collections
AUB is home to special collections which support our research and teaching and are accessible to the public
Research environment and culture
AUB has a thriving and exciting research environment. Through prioritised research projects AUB is committed to creating deep collaborations, networks and partnerships and to engaging with diverse communities.
Our Research Plan which supports AUB’s Strategy 2030 aims to expand and deepen research with aligned professions and industries. It aims to:
- Invest in new appointments to link research to our creative technological expertise, to realise the potential for global impact and attract funded opportunities for postgraduate research students.
- Invest in new infrastructure aligned with existing research strengths in creative technologies, to further enhance industry collaboration and knowledge exchange.
- Continue to build staff research capacity and expertise through strengthening research groupings that are already established (photography, animation and moving image, drawing) and those nascent (digital and creative Dorset).
- Secure a pipeline from strongly recruiting Master’s courses through to postgraduate research, seeking competitive and collaborative industrial funding for scholarships.
The University hosts a number of Research Groups that support areas of research and innovation strengths.
The University also runs a regular series of research and knowledge exchange seminars alongside an annual research conference.
REF 2029 Code of Practice
A REF Code of Practice (CoP), covering the institution's application of fair and transparent processes in relation to REF decisions, is required by all submitting higher education institutions (HEIs).
AUB’s REF 2029 CoP was endorsed by its Senior Leadership Team and approved by the Academic Board, and submitted to Research England on 15 May 2026. This was approved on 13 August 2026.
AUB's Code of Practice is as follows:
Underpinned by principles of robustness, transparency, equity and inclusion, our Code of Practice outlines how the University will make key decisions about its submission to the exercise. These decisions include identifying contracts that contribute to the REF volume measure, research independence, allocation of contracts to units of assessment and the selection of research outputs for submission to the REF.
Research England CoP guidance can be found on the REF 2029 website.
Our research in the news
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Research Groups
Our Research Network brings together a range of researchers, staff, postdoctoral and graduate students develop their common interests...
Research standards
Our Research Ethics Policy and Procedure document sets out the guiding principles for the development and conduct of research
Research Degrees
If you aspire to know your subject in greater depth or make a significant academic contribution, a research degree could be the answer
Our research
AUBREI – Arts University Bournemouth Research Excellence and Impact repository
Archives and special collections
AUB is home to special collections which support our research and teaching and are accessible to the public