Introduction

Our research informs our teaching, so that undergraduates coming to Sussex know that they are learning from researchers at the leading edge of their fields of study. Our research approach - bringing different disciplines together to find novel approaches and solutions to challenging questions - has given us a distinct interdisciplinary heritage. And the quality of our research and scholarship is the bedrock of our reputation, now stretching back nearly 50 years. It is manifest in the 2008 RAE results and doubtless will be reflected in the new national Research Excellence Framework.

Research is genuinely the lifeblood of the University, and maintaining and developing the quality of our work is absolutely central to our future plans.

Our research strategy has given Sussex's characteristic interdisiplinarity a renewed vision for the 21st century, with our six research themes. The plans developed by the academic leaders of our 12 new schools are giving Sussex research renewed impetus. Research can flourish only if it is supported by strong research services, and it's in this area much of our recent strategic planning has been focused. Our central research services team are providing strong support to our new schools and their Directors of Research and of Doctoral Studies to help them frame their research plans.

The new Doctoral School is giving crucial support to the next generation of Sussex researchers, fostering a sense of community and providing early career development. And each summer our Junior Research Associate scheme encourages our most talented undergraduates to consider an academic career - with ever-growing success.

As the rest of this review will illustrate, this approach and climate helps to ensure research at Sussex flourishes and continues to reshape the world we live in, developing real-world solutions that will transform our futures.

Professor Michael Farthing

Professor Michael Farthing - Former Vice-Chancellor