About our Research

Our research is world-renowned. We were highly rated in the last Research Excellence Framework in 2014, in which three quarters of our research was described as either “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”. As well as boasting the highest proportion of Welsh/English bilingual staff in Wales, with notable expertise in the history and culture of Wales and the Welsh language, our researchers come from over 30 countries worldwide, and collaborate with colleagues from over 120 nations, with particularly extensive links to North America, Europe, Australia, China, South Africa, and Brazil.

At the very heart of our research is the concept that our work impacts on the lives of people in Wales, the UK and globally. This has been our central ethos since the University first opened its doors in 1884. Bangor University was founded by the local community to “serve the needs of future generations”. 

Across our core research domains, we have grown a strong culture of interdisciplinary research of significance and scale in important areas of national and global need. 

Place-based innovation is at the heart of much our research, with a strong focus on the distinctive strengths of the North Wales region. We are committed to further linking our research excellence to unique regional assets: 

• Natural environment – energy, marine renewables, tourism 
• Heritage – performance, creative arts, cultural 
• Health & wellbeing – health providers 

The University values and invests in the development of the researchers of the future. We integrate postgraduate research student provision into our distinctive areas of research excellence whilst providing a high-quality experience facilitated by the University’s Doctoral School.

We are active participants in a variety of national Doctoral Training Centres and Programmes,and we manage the Pan-Wales business focused KESS II PhD/MRes programme on behalf of all Welsh HEIs.

We are committed to supporting the progression of our Early Career Researchers to develop the professional, technical and project management skills they need to bridge the doctoral to post-doctoral gap and beyond to independent research leadership roles.