Research Themes, Research Groups, and Centre

Our research in Music, Drama, Performing Arts, Film and Screen, and Heritage/Museum Studies is organised within both interdisciplinary and subject-specific research groups, and we collaborate with colleagues across Ulster as part of the Creative Industries Institute (established in 2017). Current projects led by this unit include the £13 million AHRC Creative Cluster,  Future Screens NI, and the UKRI Covid Rapid Response project Museums, Crisis and Covid-19.

Over the last two REF cycles, our Research Impact has been judged to be at the very top of the UK field, with the unit being placed joint first in REF2021 and joint 2nd in REF2014.

Our research environment is now (as of REF2021) judged to be 100% 3*/4* ('internationally excellent' and 'world-leading), and our overall profile is 41% 4* 'world-leading', leading us to be ranked alongside many prominent research-intensive departments at other universities and in the conservatoire sector.

Our research is centred within the following areas:

Subject areas:

  • Music
  • Drama
  • Film and Screen Studies
  • Heritage and Museum Studies

Interdisciplinary themes:

  • Arts, heritage, and conflict
  • Applied arts, health and disability
  • Creative industries and technologies
  • Arts practices, practice-as-research

About our Research

A unique multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary environment for research within and between the fields of drama,...

Our People

Meet the staff behind our Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies research.

Visiting Professors

Visiting Professors within Music, Drama, Film and Heritage.

Music Research

Music at Ulster University has a vibrant community of practitioner-researchers, with interests in key areas...

Drama Research

Drama researchers at Ulster work as a research-intensive subject team within the field of drama...

Film and Screen Research

Film and Screen/Cinematic Arts at Ulster University is a new and vibrant area of research...

Heritage and Museum Studies Research

The heritage and museum studies subject at Ulster University has been established since 2001 and...

Creative Industries Institute

Bringing together our research and teaching expertise to collaborate with industry, government and communities.

PhD Research: application processes and topics

PhD research can be pursued in the following individual subject areas: Cinematic Arts (film/moving image...

Visiting and Postdoctoral Researchers

Details about our Visiting and Postdoctoral Researchers.