The results of the second Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF2) have been announced, with the University of Liverpool attaining the highest possible position, Quintile 5, representing very high engagement for Research Partnerships, Working with Business and Working with the Public and Third Sector.
The University also attained Quintile 4 positions, representing high engagement, for IP and Commercialisation, and Public and Community Engagement, and a Quintile 3 position (medium engagement) for Local Growth and Regeneration.
A set of interactive dashboards have been released by Research England providing further details about the results of the second KEF. This includes statements provided by HEIs on Institutional KE Context, Local Growth and Regeneration, and Public and Community Engagement.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Impact, Professor Anthony Hollander, said: “It is fantastic to see the University’s strong performance once again in the Knowledge Exchange Framework. In five of the seven perspectives considered in KEF, we are recognised as having high or very high engagement, and this reflects the hard work of many colleagues across the institution and the strength of our relationships with our partners, which enables us to deliver real world impacts.”
KEF2 continues to demonstrate the range of valuable activities universities conduct with external partners across seven perspectives. The University of Liverpool remains in Cluster V with other very large, very high research intensive and broad discipline HEIs undertaking significant amounts of excellent research. This cluster includes most of the English Russell Group Universities along with the London Business School.
The University exceeds the cluster average for engagement in Research Partnerships, and Working with the Public and Third sector. Our performance in Working with Business, Public and Community Engagement, and Local Growth and Regeneration is in line with the cluster average.
The KEF, led by Research England, provides information about the achievements of English Universities in serving the economy and society for the benefit of the public, business and communities. The aim of the KEF is to increase efficiency and effectiveness in the use of public funding for knowledge exchange, as well as providing businesses and other users with the information to help them access the world-class knowledge and expertise in English Higher Education Institutions [HEIs].
English HEIs were ranked across a broad range of Knowledge Exchange metrics using the latest available HESA HE Business and Community Interaction [HE-BCI] Survey data from 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21. These metric rankings were collated to provide quintile scores across seven perspectives to highlight areas of strength. HEIs were then grouped into clusters to enable a fair comparison across a diverse sector.
Work with us
The Research, Partnerships and Innovation Directorate (RPI) is your primary link to external partners from the public, private and third sectors. Each Faculty has a dedicated Research Partnership Development team, with relevant industry experience, who can support you.