Monash research ‘world standard’

Monash University has been rated at world standard in every research discipline in rankings released by the Australian Research Council today.

The Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) rankings evaluate the research strengths of Australian universities by discipline, following a rigorous assessment process by internationally respected experts.

Of the 22 broad disciplines rated by the ERA, Monash was eligible for assessment in 20. Ten of the disciplines were rated higher than in the inaugural ERA rankings released in 2010.

Eight disciplines - Chemical Sciences, Engineering, Technology, Medical and Health Sciences, Economics, Law and Legal Studies, History and Archaeology and Philosophy and Religious studies - were awarded the highest possible ranking of five.

Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Ed Byrne said the ERA results capped off an outstanding year for the University.

"These excellent results highlight the University's strength across a diverse range of disciplines," Professor Byrne said.

"Such an outcome indicates that we have well and truly earned our place as one of the world's Top 100 universities."

Provost and Senior Vice-President, Professor Edwina Cornish said the results were a reflection of the talented and dedicated researchers who were drawn to Monash University.

"The element common to all Monash projects is a commitment to high-quality research that will yield tangible benefits for the community," Professor Cornish said.

"The strength of this approach has been demonstrated by the ERA results."

The most comprehensive assessment of the Australian Higher Education sector, the ERA is used to determine allocation of some research funding, as well as affecting institutional reputation.

The significant improvement in ERA ratings follows on from the University achieving its best ever result in the Academic Ranking of World Universities, compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and entering the Top 100 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.