The 2015 Excellence for Research in Australia (ERA) assessment released today reveals strong growth in the proportion of Australian-produced research classified as world standard.

In 2015, 89 per cent of the assessed research areas in Australian universities is rated as world class, up from 68 per cent in 2010.

The number of research fields deemed “national research strengths” for Australia also doubled – up from 20 in 2012 to 43 this year.

To qualify for that status, 10 or more institutions must be producing “above world standard” research, with four or more of them contributing work rated “well-above” world-standard.

“This latest data reveals the full depth and strength of the research done by our universities. It also confirms the very high quality of the research from our universities – a national imperative to drive economic transformation,” said Universities Australia Chief Executive Belinda Robinson.

“The results announced today can make the nation proud of the contribution that our universities make to the global research effort, in delivering the big research breakthroughs and producing the solutions that companies and the wider community are seeking,” said Ms Robinson.

The 2015 Excellence for Research in Australia (ERA) assessment finds:

• 89 per cent of university research areas assessed were rated as “at or above world standard”;
• Australia has 43 areas of national strength in diverse areas of research – including health and medical, science, engineering, history and culture research; and
• The number of patents has grown by 20 per cent and the number of research “outputs” has risen by 5 per cent since 2012.

ERA is a comprehensive evaluation of Australian university research against national and international benchmarks.

It can also assist businesses and entrepreneurs to identify potential research partners who are working at the top of their field.