Research and consultancy
OISD Research Group photograph 2009
The School of the Built Environment incorporates a thriving research community. The primary research vehicle within the School for the Built Environment is the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development (OISD); described by a 2008 HEFCE report as one of the key players in sustainable development research. OISD is a member of the Green Building Council and undertakes research for other research Councils (AHRB and ESRC), UK Government/Agencies, EU Government, charities, industry, and others.
Additional research centres in the School include the Joint Centre for Urban Design (JCUD), the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP) and the Discourses on Space and Society research group (DOSSier).
Research Assessment Exercise 2008
The results of the UK-wide Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) show that the School for the Built Environment is a major player in international research in the fields of 'Architecture and the Built Environment' and 'Town and Country Planning'. They also show that the School is ranked fifth in the country in terms of 'Research Power'.
The School's submission included staff from all three constituent departments of the School, was based around the research agenda and narrative set by the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development and made within the Unit of Assessment 31, Town and Country Planning.
According to the RAE results, published on 18 December 2008:
- 80% of the School's research activity is rated as 'international' quality.
- Some 40% of the School's research activity is rated as 'internationally excellent' or 'world leading'.
- The number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff submitted was the second highest of any university in the Unit of Assessment (UoA31)
- When both research quality and quantity (FTE) are taken into account, Oxford Brookes is ranked as the fifth highest university in the Research Fortnight's 'Research Power' rankings in this UoA.
(For more information about the RAE 2008 please see our official press release announcing the results.)
Research-informed teaching
The School prides itself on the strong links between its research and consultancy, taught courses and professional practice, which are fostered regionally, nationally and internationally.
The high quality of research, and the international standing, of Built Environment research and consultancy at Oxford Brookes is reflected in the influential academic publications and research reports of the School, the profile of our professors, the presence of other significant researchers in a number of fields, and in research groups which constitute some of the largest critical masses of researchers in their subject areas in the UK.
