The Research Institutes provide the focus for delivery of research and knowledge transfer within the University.
Although based within the Faculties, membership of the Institutes crosses the boundaries with each institute being thematic, rather than discipline based, and carries out research which is relevant to the external community.
The Business and Enterprise theme covers a wide range of industries including the energy and tourism sectors as well as innovation and entrepreneurship.
Interests within the Business and Enterprise theme are in areas such as:
Contact / Theme Leader: Professor Alistair Anderson
The Governance & Society theme explores the interfaces between governance and society at local, national and international scales.
Disciplines contributing to the G&S theme include:
Governance and Society research staff are involved in international class multi- and interdisciplinary research whose underlying aim is to bring benefit to societies, economies and individuals.
Areas of Research
Current areas of research activity (and dissemination) include:
Contact / Theme Leader: Professor David Gray
This theme focuses on the use and impact of information and knowledge, with an emphasis on information user perspectives.
The aim of the Information & Communication theme is to develop understanding of, and solutions to, information and communication challenges in society through quality research and practitioner engagement.
Information & Communication covers a broad range of related subjects such as:
RAE 2008
In RAE 2008, RGU was the top university in Scotland, and second equal in UK, for overall research quality in Library and Information Management. The Information and Communication theme brings together expertise and knowledge within RGU and all of the research within this area (Unit of Assessment 37) was of international quality, with the majority rated as Internationally Excellent or World-leading. This is based on the 2008 average scores for overall research quality in the subject area.
Engagements and Outputs
Typical types of engagements undertaken by members of the Information & Communication theme staff include:
Contact/ Theme Leader: Dr Simon Burnett
A theme within the Institute for Health and Welfare Research.
Our aim is to better understand the pathology of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases at the cellular level, and develop new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that will be translated into clinical practice.
The group include researchers with a widespread expertise spanning from immunology, molecular biology, nutrition, organic and medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, physiology, clinical biochemistry, and pharmacy practice.
View Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disease Potential PhD Research Projects
The cross disciplinary nature of the group spans the areas of basic science, clinical and practice based research. Our outcomes are readily transferable into treatment and prevention strategies at patient level.
Download the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Research flyer
Contact
Dr Giovanna Bermano
A theme within the Institute of Health and Welfare Research.
Our research is dedicated to the enhancement of lifelong mental health and wellbeing from a multidisciplinary perspective. We embrace an evidence-based approach to informing policy initiatives, clinical practice, and the education and training of healthcare professionals.
Programmes of research within the theme include:
View the Neurological & Mental Health Potential PhD Projects
Download the Neurological & Mental Health Flyer
Contact
A theme within the Institute of Health and Welfare Research.
Our research employs cutting edge techniques to address health problems that are presented both within the environment and the workplace. Our interests focus on clinical and basic science research into environmental health and physical wellbeing. Our interests include:
Environmental Health
Occupational Health
View Environmental & Occupational Health Potential PhD Projects
Download the Environmental & Occupational Health Flyer
Contact
Professor Cherry Wainwright
Gray's School of Art, RGU, has pioneered methodologies of practice-led research over two decades, working closely with the art, design and cultural sectors, their organisations, institutions and issues.
Gray's research is responsive to its social and cultural context in North East Scotland, investigating issues of local relevance, the outcomes of which have resonance in other places. The research culture is positioned within networks of academic and non academic partners regionally, nationally and internationally.
Current research examines the changing role of the artist and designer in response to organisational, environmental and economic challenges.
There are four main research groups associated with Gray's School of Art:
Gray’s School of Art has an established track record developing research at doctoral and post doctoral levels.
Research in The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and the Built Environment relates to national policy and social agendas, and usually involves the solution of practical problems.
There is a high degree of collaboration between disciplines, industry, and both professional and public bodies. Most research is based around the Environments for People Centre, which focuses on social, economic and physical resource sustainability and evaluation of the design of built environments in terms of their ability to meet the needs of people.
The related subjects of energy, environment and sustainability extend across a range of significant research activities within IDEAS.
The theme includes research into technical solutions to real problems, including issues of renewable energy from wind and water, environmental sensing and remediation, as well as psychological and behavioural studies concerning the relationship between people and the wider environment.
Within the theme lie a number of established research centres and groups including:
IDEAS Research Institute takes the direct relevance and impact of its research as a central point of its work, including work with government and industries including the oil and gas sectors, construction, architecture, urban design and energy providers. The impact of this activity on practice in itself forms a specific research centre, Centre for Understanding Sustainability in Practice (CUSP).
In the Research Assessment Exercise 2008, research in the School of Engineering was graded as "world leading" for 5% of the submission, with a further 80% judged to be at international level.
A key principle of our research is social relevance and much of our work brings benefit to science, industry and the wider public.
This group conducts research on knowledge modelling, discovery and acquisition. Their innovative techniques have found application in product design and decision-support including tablet formulation, non-destructive testing, textual data mining and satellite fault detection.
This research group has a primary focus in four related areas: evolutionary algorithms; probabilistic modelling; parallel computing and neural networks. Applications to real-world problems include medical treatment design and optimisation; concurrent mining of neuro-oncological data from multiple clinical centres; domiciliary care scheduling and walking robots.
This group focuses on the research and development of techniques for solving and optimising the solution of complex combinatorial problems. Constraint technologies are used to find (optimal) solutions to a wide range of challenging industrial problems.
This group focuses on imaging, graphics, visualisation, video communications, cognitive & performance modelling and user interaction. Applications include user & performance modelling, facial animation & face recognition, augmented & hybrid virtual reality in clinical applications, telemedicine, human errors & systems failure audit.
Centre for Video Communications
This centre conducts research and development work around the technology of imaging and communication including video compression, software and hardware architectures and high-performance digital communications.
The information systems research group has a technology transfer focus that adds a new business-oriented view to existing information retrieval and systems expertise and bridges the gaps with other research groups. The group has two main themes: business information systems and learning technologies.
The Digital Technologies theme is part of two leading research partnerships: the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance and the Northern Research Partnership.
RGU will host a series of alumni events in Nigeria this week to strengthen links with former students.
Find out more about the IDEAS Digital Technologies research seminar series.
