Design education is the oldest form of publicly funded education in the United Kingdom research in the discipline is a relatively new phenomenon which has occupied only the last ten of its one hundred and sixty-three year history.Before 1992 when the Polytechnics received "new" University status, formal research was relatively unheard of in the Schools and Departments of Art and Design, except as an academic pursuit in the history of Art or Design. Since 1992 Art and Design like other University disciplines has been expected to engage in research, develop research profiles, produce measurable outcomes and compete in "Research Assessment".With predominantly a practice base which makes it different from other academic disciplines and little staff experience of either taking or supervising research degrees establishing a research culture during the first ten years has not been easy.This paper reflects on the first decade of research in Art and Design with reference to its practice base and the following issues:practice as research - institutional and national issuespractice and the research degreepost Doctoral research in Art and Designpractice and academic comparisons with other disciplinesbeyond research assessment - Art and Design research post 2001