Excellence in Research for Australia - 2010 Results
Bonython Hall
The University of Adelaide's position as an Australian leader in research has been confirmed with the release of the results of the first Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) process.
ERA is a Federal Government initiative to assess the research quality at universities across Australia, using a combination of measures on researchers, research outputs, research income, reputation and other measures.
At the University of Adelaide, 19 out of 22 research discipline areas (86% of them) have been rated at or above world standard by the ERA.
Visit the ARC's ERA 2010 Results website for full documentation
The University's investment in Research Institutes aligns well with ERA high performers:
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing
(Scored 5 in Optical Physics) - Waite Research Institute
(Scored 5 in Soil Sciences, Plant Biology, Crop and Pasture Production, and Horticultural Production) - Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources
(Scored 5 in Geology) - Robinson Institute
(Scored 5 in Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine, Nutrition and Dietetics) - Environment Institute
(Scored 5 in Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Evolutionary Biology)
Highlights for the University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide emerges as the preeminent institution in a number of fields.
Three exceptional examples of our performance are:
The Only 5 Rating in Australia for Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine
An area of research excellence at the heart of the University’s Robinson Institute and a clear indicator of national pre-eminence and leadership. We also received a 5 rating in six other areas of health and medical research: Cardiovascular Medicine and Haematology; Medical Microbiology; Nursing; Nutrition and Dietetics; Oncology and Carcinogenesis; and Medical Physiology. It should be emphasised that these outstanding results have benefited from intensive and sustained collaboration with the likes of the RAH, SA Pathology, TQEH, WCH, CWYHS, WCHRI, etc.
State ERA comparison 
(71.46K)
A comparison of the ERA performance of the three South Australian universities.
Go8 ERA comparison (78.25K)
A comparison of the ERA performance of all Group of Eight (Go8) universities.
Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences
The University of Adelaide was one of only three universities nationally to receive a 5 rating in the overall discipline of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences. Neither of the other two universities (interstate) received extensive 5-ratings in relevant sub-disciplines, further highlighting the outstanding quality and interdisciplinary nature of our work. The ERA results align with our view that the Waite Campus is truly a centre of research excellence in the world for Agricultural Science. We were also rated at world class or above in the areas of Animal Production and Veterinary Sciences. This is especially noteworthy given that the assessment was undertaken prior to the University taking on the bulk of its academic staff complement in Veterinary Sciences. Without doubt, collaboration with partners at the Waite, including CSIRO, SARDI and AWRI, has been critical to this success.
Creative Practice and Performing Arts
Our score of 5 for the overall discipline of Studies In Creative Arts and Writing encompasses the strengths that are now brought together in the new J.M. Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice. This includes the Elder Conservatorium of Music and explores what drives the creative process. In particular it seeks to understand how the interaction between disciplines (for example, text with music) shapes and is shaped by the underlying programme, or story, that a given work seeks to convey. As such, the Centre supports practice-based and scholarly activities in a way that reinforces Adelaide's reputation as a cultural and intellectual hub.
The University was assessed in 22 two-digit FoR codes.
Of those areas assessed:
- 17 (77%) were ranked at or above the national average.
- 19 (86%) of our two-digit codes ranked at or above the ERA defined level of ‘world standard’.
- Our average rating was 3.55, and the average national rating for the same categories was 2.9.
The University was also assessed in 75 four-digit FoR codes.
Of those assessed:
- 47 (62.7%) were ranked at or above the national average.
- 60 (80%) of our four-digit codes ranked at or above the ERA defined level of ‘world standard’.
Major Results for the University of Adelaide
| Score | Field of Research | Code |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Physical Sciences | 02 |
| 5 | Earth Sciences | 04 |
| 5 | Environmental Sciences | 05 |
| 5 | Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences | 07 |
| 5 | Medical and Health Sciences (Biomedical and Clinical Health Sciences) | 11 |
| 5 | Studies In Creative Arts and Writing | 19 |
| 5 | Astronomical and Space Sciences | 0201 |
| 5 | Optical Physics | 0205 |
| 5 | Geology | 0403 |
| 5 | Soil Sciences | 0503 |
| 5 | Evolutionary Biology | 0603 |
| 5 | Plant Biology | 0607 |
| 5 | Crop and Pasture Production | 0703 |
| 5 | Horticultural Production | 0706 |
| 5 | Cardiovascular Medicine and Haematology | 1102 |
| 5 | Medical Microbiology | 1108 |
| 5 | Oncology and Carcinogenesis | 1112 |
| 5 | Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine | 1114 |
| 5 | Medical Physiology | 1116 |
| 5 | Nursing | 1110 |
| 5 | Nutrition and Dietetics | 1111 |
| 5 | Performing Arts and Creative Writing | 1904 |
| 4 | Biological Sciences | 06 |
| 4 | Medical and Health Sciences (Public and Allied Health Sciences) | 11 |
| 4 | Law and Legal Studies | 18 |
| 4 | Philosophy and Religious Studies | 22 |
| 4 | Pure Mathematics | 0101 |
| 4 | Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics | 0202 |
| 4 | Environmental Science and Management | 0502 |
| 4 | Biochemistry and Cell Biology | 0601 |
| 4 | Ecology | 0602 |
| 4 | Genetics | 0604 |
| 4 | Animal Production | 0702 |
| 4 | Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing | 0801 |
| 4 | Civil Engineering | 0905 |
| 4 | Clinical Sciences | 1103 |
| 4 | Dentistry | 1105 |
| 4 | Immunology | 1107 |
| 4 | Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences | 1115 |
| 4 | Anthropology | 1601 |
| 4 | Law | 1801 |
| 4 | Applied Ethics | 2201 |
| 4 | Philosophy | 2203 |
| 3 | Mathematical Sciences | 01 |
| 3 | Chemical Sciences | 03 |
| 3 | Information and Computing Sciences | 08 |
| 3 | Engineering | 09 |
| 3 | Economics | 14 |
| 3 | Studies In Human Society | 16 |
| 3 | Psychology and Cognitive Sciences | 17 |
| 3 | Language, Communication and Culture | 20 |
| 3 | History and Archaeology | 21 |
| 3 | Applied Mathematics | 0102 |
| 3 | Statistics | 0104 |
| 3 | Quantum Physics | 0206 |
| 3 | Inorganic Chemistry | 0302 |
| 3 | Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry | 0304 |
| 3 | Organic Chemistry | 0305 |
| 3 | Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural) | 0306 |
| 3 | Geophysics | 0404 |
| 3 | Microbiology | 0605 |
| 3 | Physiology | 0606 |
| 3 | Zoology | 0608 |
| 3 | Veterinary Sciences | 0707 |
| 3 | Electrical and Electronic Engineering | 0906 |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering | 0913 |
| 3 | Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy | 0914 |
| 3 | Neurosciences | 1109 |
| 3 | Public Health and Health Services | 1117 |
| 3 | Architecture | 1201 |
| 3 | Applied Economics | 1402 |
| 3 | Demography | 1603 |
| 3 | Political Science | 1606 |
| 3 | Sociology | 1608 |
| 3 | Other Studies In Human Society | 1699 |
| 3 | Psychology | 1701 |
| 3 | Linguistics | 2004 |
| 3 | Literary Studies | 2005 |
| 3 | Historical Studies | 2103 |
THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
SA 5005 AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 8 8303 5665
Fax: +61 8 8303 4409
enquiries.dvcr@adelaide.edu.au
