ReseaRch Quality assuRance foR the futuRe a ... - Lund University

Panel 12 – science bio/geo
sub- departments, attracting research collaborations both nationally and
internationally. It has maintained post-graduate enrolment against national
and European trends. There has been a drive to recruit promising
younger staff, which has created a department, especially in Quaternary
Sciences, that is dynamic and relatively young in average age. The new
generation of scientists is interdisciplinary in outlook, which promises
well for intra-and inter-departmental and institutional collaboration.
The major threat to strong future development is the insecure employment
situation that underlies a lack of recruitment to permanent positions,
potential high levels of stress among staff, and an inability to plan
clearly for the future
3.2 Summary evaluation of research
Quaternary Science
Quality: Outstanding
Productivity: Outstanding
Relevance: Outstanding
Vitality: Outstanding
Lithosphere-Palaeobiosphere Science
Quality: Very good with some aspects excellent-outstanding
Productivity: Very good with some aspects excellent-outstanding
Relevance: Very good with some aspects excellent-outstanding
Vitality: Very good; some aspects excellent-outstanding
3.3 Comments at sub-departmental level
3.3.1 Quaternary Sciences
Quaternary Sciences includes seven definable groups with strong overlap
among groups.
3.3.1.1 Research infrastructure
Quaternary Sciences is exceptionally well equipped with major infrastructure
units that support departmental, national and international
research, and which also make contributions to other disciplines (e.g.
archaeology): a new state-of-the-art Accelerator Mass Spectrometry
(AMS) dating facility, and a palaeomagnetic/mineral magnetic laboratory
and an Argon-Argon dating laboratory, all of which are unique within
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