News

Outstanding ERA results for ACU

Australian Catholic University (ACU) has performed remarkably well over the last three years in the 2018 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) evaluation.

The Australian Research Council released the results on Wednesday 27 March 2019.

There are two levels of reporting: a broad two-digit Field of Research (FoR) and a more specific four-digit discipline area.

Within the broad division of two-digit Field of Research (FoR) codes, ACU received:

• the highest score of five – well above world standard – in Medical and Health Sciences (FoR 11) and Psychology and Cognitive Sciences (17)
• a score of four – above world standard – in Education (13) and Philosophy and Religious Studies (22)
• a score of three – at world standard – in Studies in Human Society (16), Law and Legal Studies (18), and History and Archeology (21).

ACU Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Greg Craven said, “This is an outstanding achievement for ACU’s research priority areas of education, health, and theology and philosophy, and represents a marked improvement over the past three years of our research intensification strategy.”

ACU’s score in Medical and Health Sciences has increased from four to five, while it maintained the top score of five in Psychology. The University improved its score in Education from three to four and maintained a score of four in Philosophy and Religious Studies.

Research at ACU has received the top score in the discipline groups within Medical and Health Sciences, and Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and in one of the groups in Education. This includes:

• A score of five in Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology (1102), Clinical Sciences (1103), Cognitive Sciences (1702), and Nutrition and Dietetics (1111), each of which were assessed for the first time in 2018
• Maintaining a score of five in Human Movement and Sports Science (1106), Nursing (1110), Public Health and Health Services (1117), and Psychology (1701)
• The score of five in Specialist Studies in Education (1303) is not only an improvement on ACU’s previously assessed score of four, but it is also the first time it has been recognised at well above world standard in the field of Education.

Curriculum and Pedagogy (1302) was another area of improvement, with a score of four, and ACU maintained its performance above world standard in both Philosophy (2203), and Religion and Religious Studies (2204), in the University’s strategic focus on theology and philosophy.

In other four-digit codes assessed in 2018, ACU received a score of three in Education Systems (1301), Business and Management (1503), Political Science (1606), Sociology (1608), Law (1801), and Historical Studies (2103).

Professor Craven said the results demonstrated that ACU researchers were performing above or well above world standard across all of the University’s priority areas.

“Our investment in education, health, and theology and philosophy ensures that our research excellence strategy aligns with our institutional mission and focus as we prepare for our next stage of growth as a world leading Catholic university,” he said.

“These exceptional results are a direct result of Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Wayne McKenna’s energy in driving ACU’s research strategy, not to mention the work of all the researchers across our institutes and the faculties for their important research activities.”

The full results for ACU and across the sector can be viewed here.

A new Engagement Impact assessment is measured separately and will be released soon.