DREB transcription factors play key roles in plant stress signalling transduction pathway, they can specifically bind to DRE/CRT element (G/ACCGAC) and activate the expression of many stress inducible genes. Here, a novel rice DREB transcription factor, OsDREB1F, was cloned and characterised via subtractive suppression hybridisation (SSH) from upland rice. Expression analysis revealed that OsDREB1F gene was induced by salt, drought, cold stresses, and also ABA application, but not by pathogen, wound, and H2O2. Subcellular localization results indicated that OsDREB1F localizes in nucleus. Yeast activity assay demonstrated that OsDREB1F gene encodes a transcription activator, and can specifically bind to DRE/CRT but not to ABRE element. Transgenic plants harbouring OsDREB1F gene led to enhanced tolerance to salt, drought, and low temperature in both rice and Arabidopsis. The further characterisation of OsDREB1F-overexpressing Arabidopsis showed that, besides activating the expression of COR genes which contain DRE/CRT element in their upstream promoter regions, the expression of rd29B and RAB18 genes were also activated, suggested that OsDREB1F may also participate in ABA-dependent pathway.