Our strong vision and values, coupled with our four key focus areas (People, Research, Teaching and Learning and Social and Civic Responsibility), help us in our mission to deliver excellence to 2030 and beyond.
To assess how well we are performing, our Strategic Performance Framework (SPF) sets out how we will achieve our goals over the period of the Strategy. Our SPF takes into account internal and external factors which influence or affect our work.
Aligned to our four focus areas is our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Strategy 2030 recognises that the University has the opportunity to contribute to the SDGs in different ways across our communities and across our different locations.
Performance framework
In Strategy 2030, we highlight that our vision to continue delivering excellence to 2030 and beyond is rooted in our values, with a focus on our four key areas. We have structured our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) around these four key areas (People, Research, Teaching and Learning and Social and Civic Responsibility) to reflect the University’s ambitions outlined in Strategy 2030 and to demonstrate how well we are performing against them. The information below shows our performance in each of these focus areas. Unless indicated otherwise, data shown reflects 2023/24 performance.
Strategy 2030 focus area: People
Our students, staff, alumni and friends are our lifeblood.
- Widening participation: Number (and proportion) of undergraduate entrants from an SIMD20 (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation - most deprived 20%) area: 241 (10.7%) (2022/23: 300 (13.4%)
- International student diversity: Ratio of largest international market to 5th and 10th largest overseas markets
Ratio to 5th: 25:1
2022/23: 28:1
Ratio to 10th: 38:1
2022/23: 46:1
- Staff equality, diversity and inclusion: Gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps (measures are 2022/23 as reported biennially)
Average gender pay gap:15.3%
Average ethnicity pay gap: 10.3%
Average disability pay gap: 8.1%
- Staff satisfaction, 2023 staff survey: Staff engagement: 54%
In development: 4. Efficient systems and user-friendly processes
The key performance indicator for efficient systems will focus on the intended benefits of more user-friendly processes and efficient systems to support our work.
Sustainable development goals:
- Quality education
- Gender equality
8. Decent work and economic growth
10. Reduced inequalities
16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
Strategy 2030 focus area: Research
Our ethos of working without boundaries will deliver a step change in innovation and research.
- Research quality/competitiveness: REF performance, supported by a between-REFs proxy including share of UKRI income
5.57%
2022/23: 5.64%
- Research activity: Total research income £365 million
2022/23: £340 million
- Research activity with industry: Total value of industrial and translational research awards: £150.8 million
2022/23: £91.9 million
- Innovation & collaboration: Research and entrepreneurship related City Region Deal TRADE targets
Research income: £158.1 million
2022/23: £127.1 million
Entrepreneurship companies: 108
Interactions: 135
2022/23: Entrepreneurship companies: 41
Interactions: 60
Sustainable development goals:
4. Quality education
8. Decent work and economic growth
9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Strategy 2030 focus area: Teaching and learning
Our teaching will match the excellence of our research. We will improve and sustain student satisfaction and wellbeing.
- Talent – data skills: People gaining qualifications via certified data skills courses and MOOCs: 100,092
2022/23: 33,352
In development: Curriculum transformation. We are developing a small number of critical measures to measure our progress on Curriculum Transformation
- Student experience: Student satisfaction as reported in the NSS and other national student surveys (current year measure only as KPI measurement has changed and comparison with prior year is not valid).
NSS 2024 position: 60.6% (NSS 2023: lower quartile)
PTES: 79.1%
PRES: 77.2%
PRES collected every second year
2022/23: PTES 74.3%
2022/23: PRES 77.2%
- Graduate outcomes: Graduates entering graduate level employment or further study:
85.5% (2021/22 graduating cohort)
2022/23: 85.4%
Sustainable Development Goals:
4. Quality education
5. Gender equality
10. Reduced inequalities
Strategy 2030 focus area: Social and civic responsibility
Our vision is to make the world a better place, so we will ensure that our actions and activities deliver positive change locally, regionally and globally.
- Social impact: Community Grants awarded
25 micro grants awarded: £11,364
22 community grants awarded: £89,309
2022/23: £95,041 total grants
- Innovation: Number of start-up companies:
122: 116 student start-ups 6 staff start-ups
2022/23: 119: 115 student start-ups, 4 staff start-ups
- Net zero: Absolute (and relative to £m turnover) carbon emissions (tCO2)
Absolute carbon emissions (CO2): 78,720 tCO2 2022/23: 78,025 tCO2
2022/23: 55.8 tCO2/£m
Relative carbon emissions: 54.9 tCO2/£m
2022/23: 55.8 tCO2/£m
Sustainable Development Goals:
7 Affordable and clean energy
9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure
11. Sustainable cities and communities
12. Responsible consumption and production
17. Partnerships for the goals