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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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Explore our global research

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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

Durham professor contributes to parliamentary report on young people’s health and social care

Professor Emma Cave from Durham Law School has contributed to a new UK parliamentary report on the transition from children’s to adult health and social care services in England. The report highlights significant shortcomings in the support available to young people.
Emma Cave is pictured in an office environment

Older female influencers are challenging stereotypes around ageing

Older female influencers are using social media to challenge long-held assumptions about women and ageing, according to new research from Durham University Business School.
Two older women smiling whilst taking a selfie

Science Minister launches £12.2m health technology hub

The Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, Chris McDonald MP, has launched a new £12.2m health technology hub that brings together Durham and Sunderland universities, businesses, and public services.
People using and watching eye scanning health equipment

Improving the world for the next generation

Durham research is enabling a healthier, safer, and fairer future for the next generation. From the mental health crisis to natural hazards, our academics are confronting the most pressing global challenges.
Four young people with arms around each other's shoulders, stand in a wheat field. They are facing away from the camera, looking towards a town in the distance

Furthering our understanding of our Universe

What happened in the first moments after the Big Bang? Why and how did our galaxy go through a dramatic disc flip? Our researchers are exploring these questions and more on the development of the Universe.
A computer-generated image of a galaxy. It is surrounded by arrows pointing in a circular motion, indicating how the galaxy has changed position over time

Shaping a sustainable energy future

From developing clean energy technologies to tackling global environmental threats, our researchers are pioneering a more sustainable future. Recent projects highlight the breadth of our expertise and the impact of this work for some of the world's most pressing energy and climate issues.
A sphere representing the Earth is held by two hands, on a green background

How to reduce harmful sexual behaviour and protect your kids and their peers

What do we know about young people whose sexual behaviour harms others? And how can we keep them and those around them safe? Together with colleagues in Australia, Emeritus Professor Simon Hackett, of our Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse and our Department of Sociology, examines this issue.
The back of a young boy walking into a modern school wearing a backpack.

Classics professor’s biography of Alexander the Great wins 'world’s leading non-fiction prize'

Professor Edmund Richardson has won the prestigious Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction for his biography of Alexander the Great.
A man in a suit and white shirt holds a hardback book in his right hand and smiles at the camera.

When a bull falls for a donkey: what an unlikely relationship reveals about animal sexuality

What can an unlikely relationship between a bull and a donkey tell us about animal sexuality? Jo Setchell, Professor of Anthropology, explores how unusual examples of animal behaviour can challenge our ideas about sex, relationships and what counts as natural.
The bull Achille's with male donkey Patroclo pictured in a field under a tree

Centuries-old cemetery reveals climate link to Industrial Revolution disease

Climate change may have contributed to childhood vitamin D deficiency during England’s Industrial Revolution, according to new research from our Department of Archaeology.
A human skeleton stood next to two people

Durham expertise informing global climate policy at COP31

From melting polar ice to climate law and AI, Durham researchers are contributing their expertise to crucial global sustainability discussions at the UN Conference of the Parties, COP31.
A collage of headshots of male and female academics

Durham University, Science Europe, TERI and DFG Unite for COP31 Side Event on Implementing National Climate Targets

Durham University will join leading international research and policy organisations at COP31 to host an official UNFCCC side event exploring how science can drive effective climate mitigation and adaptation.
Panelists and audience at COP30
Sample tubes being held by purple latex gloves over a light box

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