‘Knowledge Exchange’ is the term used to describe the range of activities universities carry out with partners and other organisations such as businesses, charities and community groups, for the benefit of the economy and society.
To understand how well universities do this, Research England created the ‘Knowledge Exchange Framework’ (KEF) in 2021.
The KEF system, which is also a measure of a university’s impact, assesses the quality of knowledge exchange among UK universities and higher education institutions. It groups Higher Education Institutions into 'clusters’ of peers with similar characteristics such as size, subject areas and amount of research.
Measured each year by Research England, the KEF allows universities to improve their own practices and deliver impactful research, while also helping non-academic audiences benefit from the knowledge and expertise within English universities.
For detailed examples of how Queen Mary is helping society and the economy through our work, check out the case studies below. These cover the seven areas measured by KEF and demonstrate a selection of Queen Mary’s knowledge exchange work and the impact it has in each category.