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Research Impact
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Research to empower and inspire

We are a globally outstanding centre of teaching, learning and research excellence. We are a world top 100 university, with 10 of our subjects ranked in the world top 50 and 22 in the world top 100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. We conduct innovative and impactful research to transform lives and make a difference, globally and locally: research to empower and inspire.
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  • Research Impact at Durham

    Read about our Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 impact case studies.

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  • Global Culture

    Interested in how the cultural activities of Durham's staff and student bodies enrich life worldwide? Head to the Global Culture page to find out.

    Bollywood Dance group at the Oriental museum, Holi Festival, indian dance

Research Impact at Durham

Read about our Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 impact case studies.

Aerial view of Durham

Global Culture

Interested in how the cultural activities of Durham's staff and student bodies enrich life worldwide? Head to the Global Culture page to find out.

Bollywood Dance group at the Oriental museum, Holi Festival, indian dance

Latest news

Workers with multiple jobs miss out on basic rights, study finds

Current workplace frameworks are failing to reflect the realities of modern employment, leaving many people working multiple jobs without adequate protection, new research from Professor Jo McBride in our Business School finds.
Bustling scene at London Underground platform

New study highlights hidden link between gambling and domestic abuse

Harmful gambling can worsen domestic abuse and act as escapism for women, new research from Durham University Business School finds.
Woman comforting another woman

English Studies Rises to 26th in the QS World Subject Rankings 2026

We have been ranked 26th for English Literature and Language in the prestigious QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, rising 7 places compared to 2025.
QS World Subject Rankings 2026 English Studies

Physics rises in QS World University Rankings by Subject

Durham University’s Physics Department’s QS World University Ranking 2026 has risen over 20 places to joint 67th.
Montage of Physics related images

Spotlight on: Professor Clare McGlynn – transforming the law to protect women online

In an increasingly digital age, criminal law has struggled to keep pace with online abuse, particularly for women and girls. Professor Clare McGlynn, from our Law School, is changing this.
Professor Clare McGlynn photographed outside smiling to camera

Can the UK achieve the fastest AI adoption in the G7?

Professor Kieran Fernandes, Executive Dean of our Business School, explores the UK’s ambition to lead the G7 in AI adoption, arguing that success depends not on innovation alone, but on how effectively AI is embedded across businesses, public services and regions.
Abstract AI data wave with tech line patterns and digital network effects

Durham Geography ranked 6th in world

We have been ranked 6th in the prestigious QS World University Rankings by Subject.
QS

Durham named a World Top 50 international university

We’ve been named in the top 50 of the world’s most international universities, by a newly published league table.
A group of female students walk down a cobbled street in the sunshine. Other students are either side of the group. In the background are the towers of Durham Cathedral.

Ancient societies reveal surprising global history of democracy

A new international study has challenged long-held assumptions about the origins and history of democratic practices.
A large ancient outdoor plaza featuring ruins of grey stone walls

Spotlight on: Professor Graham Towl – lifetime achievement award for leading forensic psychologist

Our ‘Spotlight on’ series celebrates the world-leading work of our academics. Just over 20 years after being peer nominated as the most influential forensic psychologist in the UK, Professor Graham Towl was awarded 2025 British Psychological Society Lifetime Achievement Award.
Professor Graham Towl looking to camera, taken outside with tree in background

Spotlight on: Professor Jon Gluyas - pioneering geoenergy solutions for a sustainable future

This instalment of our ‘Spotlight on’ series focuses on Professor Jon Gluyas - a leading geoscientist who has spent his career addressing some of society's most pressing energy challenges.
Professor Jon Gluyas looking straight to camera in front of a dark background

Are women more safe today in England and Wales than they were in the past – or less? What the evidence shows

Professor Nicole Westmarland, in our Department of Sociology, reviews the evidence around rates of violence against women and girls in England and Wales.
Woman walking alone through a pedestrian tunnel
Sample tubes being held by purple latex gloves over a light box

Research Newsletter

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