More than half of the research carried out at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) has been commended as 'world leading' and 'internationally excellent'.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) evaluates the quality and impact of research at UK universities across all disciplines.
It grades research from 'nationally recognised' (1*) to 'world leading' (4*) and is carried out every five years.
The last publication was in 2014 and this most recent report was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The RAU’s overall results recorded 52% of the university’s research being classed as 3* or 4*, meaning it is 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent'.
In addition, half of the agricultural university’s scientific publications were deemed to be of international quality.
The RAU said the results marked a significant improvement for the university from the 2014 analysis.
RAU vice-chancellor, Prof Peter McCaffery, said: "This result puts the Royal Agricultural University on the map as a world leading specialist institution for sustainable farming and land use.
"It will enable us to build on this research and invest in new areas and facilities and to offer world class research and education.”
Prof Mark Horton, director of research at RAU, added: “To be able to say that the majority of our research work is of an international world-leading quality is a major breakthrough for the RAU.
"Our academics are excited in being able to make a real contribution not just in pure research, but in applying this to the real world - where agriculture and farming are facing such enormous challenges.”
The REF is undertaken by the four UK higher education funding bodies: Research England, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE)
