THE ROAD TO IMPROVEMENT - ARMA€¦ · DR SIMON KERRIDGE APPOINTED TO THE CASRAI BOARD OF...

SENSE OF SUPPORTBREXIT ARMA examines the UK's

decision to leave the EU

and asks what it will

mean for the research and

sciences sectors

MISS BIRMINGHAM? Check out highlights from our

annual conference, including a

rundown of the ARMA Award

winners and a photo collage

THE ESSENCE OF LEADERSHIP Do you know the values

and vision of your

organisation?

ISSUE 4 Autumn 2016

THE ROAD TO IMPROVEMENTTURNING HIGHER EDUCATION CHANGES INTO RMA OPPORTUNIT IES

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proponent for or advocate of the profession ISSN

2397-1665Issue 4 A

utumn 2016

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a.ac.uk £7.50

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No 1

T H E P R O TA G O N I S T

T O T H E 4 T H I S S U E O F T H E P R O TA G O N I S T !

W ELCOME! I would like to not only welcome you to this latest issue,

but also use this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Chair of ARMA. It is a position that I am excited and honoured to step into. Following the success of Dr Simon Kerridge, I intend to ensure that members remain at the heart of ARMA, and that everything we stand for has a clear and direct member benefit. I also intend to raise ARMA’s profile and influence in policy matters within the sector.

With this in mind, I would like to turn your attention to the headlines we have seen in recent months. As the implications of the EU referendum on Brexit, the Higher Education White Paper and the Stern Review become clearer over the following weeks and months, I promise that ARMA will have a pivotal role to play in ensuring that our members are fully supported and that the voice of our profession is clearly articulated. I want to make sure that we are on the road to improvement – a vision reflected in the cover of this publication.

As such, we have a cracking issue full of content that will be of direct benefit and relevance to you. Commenting on the changes in the sector and the latest policy

changes on the horizon, we showcase a piece from James Wilsdon that talks about the ramifications of the Stern Review and the Brexit vote. Following this piece, Ian Carter shares his thoughts about UKRI. This issue of The Protagonist also features funding opportunities that you should keep your eye on, as well as an interactive article from Steve Hutchinson in which he challenges you to think about how to become a truly effective leader.

As always, you can also use this publication to find out about all the latest ARMA activities and learn more about how you can be involved and benefit from your membership.

I hope you enjoy this latest edition!

W E L COM E

steph balesChair of ARMA

C O N T E N T SeditorsRosemary Peters Paul Redmond

commission i ng editorJayne Black

[email protected]

contri butorsAlicen NicksonAllan SudlowCraig HendersonChristopher NixonDavid Coombe Fiona ColliganHamish MacAndrewIan CarterJane Dowson Jane FarrowJo LakeyDr John RogersKaren ClewsLinsey DicksonMark ReedMary Caspillo-BrewerNikki Muckle Rosie Niven Dr Simon KerridgeSarah Puddicombe Sarah Townsend Stephanie BalesDr Steve Hutchinson Sue Starbuck Tony Weir

designLaurie AtkinsMike HillMyles SkinnerOrlagh MurphyPaul MartinSuzie ElandTristan Manco

editorialChristopher HughesKatie LewisPaul RedmondStephanie Spurr

M I S S B I R M I N G H A M ?

B R E X I T

T H E E S S E N C E O F L E A D E R S H I P

From the winners of the ARMA Awards, to a reflection from journalist and former BBC Executive Craig Henderson, we bring you highlights from the most recent Annual Conference

ARMA takes an in-depth look at Brexit and what it means for the future

Dr Steve Hutchinson asks you three very important questions about leadership

F E A T U R E S

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3 0

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No 2


R E G U L A R S

4The bulletin

5 8Dates for the diary

5 9In touch

6 0The final note: Stephanie Bales closes issue 4 of The Protagonist by setting out her vision for ARMA’s future

B I R M I N G H A M C O N F E R E N C E

12The Birmingham Bull was busy at this year’s conference – see how!

A R M A

14ARMA presents its new training and development opportunities

16The benefits of internal peer review

18Qualifications: Mary Caspillo-Brewer shares her wisdom

2 0Advice from a qualifications assessor

2 2Meet the 2016-17 ARMA Executive Board

2 5Book review: The Research Impact Handbook

2 6What’s happening inside the British Library?

2 8Important lessons in networking

P O L I C Y

3 4What’s the deal with UKRI?

F U N D I N G A N D M A N A G E M E N T

3 6Where efficiency and Brexit meet

3 8 Best practices when handling a reorganisation

4 0 INORMS 2018 conference

4 2 Which National Institute for Health Research funding programme is right for your researchers?

4 4 Help your academics make the most of their expertise

5 0 Implementing the Metric Tide

5 2 Drs Simon Kerridge and Stephanie Scott introduce their research project into the RMA profession

5 6A look into the replacement for the Je-S funding system

Produced byresearc h mediaIn association with arma

Printed byP h i lt on e L i t ho L i m i t e dwww.philtone.co.uk

Extracts may only be reproduced with the permission of ARMA. Please contact Stephanie Bales at [email protected]

No 3


No 4


N E W P R O F E S S I O N A L Q U A L I F I C AT I O N SStudents have started their studies for the next cohorts of the Professional Qualifications in Research Management and Administration. As of October, there are students working towards:

• The Certificate in Research Administration (Routes: Research Organisations, Canada and Europe)

• The Certificate in Research Management (Routes: Research Organisations and Funding Organisations)

• The Certificate in the Leadership of Research Management (Routes: Research Organisations)

• Diploma in the Leadership of Research Management (Routes: Research Organisations)

Registration for the next cohort will be opening January 2017. See page 18 for more information about students who are already working towards their qualification.

t h e B U L L E T I N

P R O F E S S I O N A L A N D C A R E E R D E V E L O P M E N T L O A N AVA I L A B L EResearch managers can now apply for a UK Government Professional and Career Development Loan to complete the Certificate in Research Management.

The Certificate in Research Management, developed by ARMA and accredited by the ATHE, is a part-time qualification suitable for professionals with at least four years’ experience. It gives students the opportunity to gain recognition and accreditation for their skills and knowledge at a strategic operational level.

The Professional and Career Development Loan enables students to pay back the cost of studying for the Certificate over time. Moreover, while you are studying, the Government will pay back the interest on the loan.

Visit http://bit.ly/PCDLoan to find out more information about how you can apply.

W E B I N A R SWebinars are on the rise again, as ARMA does its part to ensure its members have every opportunity to stay up-to-date on current happenings in the research management and administration sector.

These webinars are live, interactive online seminars on hot research support topics. Keep your eye on the events page of our website (www.arma.ac.uk/events) to find webinars most relevant to your activities, and to catch some of our free offerings. Upcoming webinars include:

• Using Social Media for Research Impact

• THE Rankings and how League Tables Work

• Prevent Duty Requirements

• Philanthropic Giving

I N T E R E S T E D I N W R I T I N G F O R T H E P R O TA G O N I S T ?ARMA is always interested in sharing different perspectives and issues in research management and administration. If you have an idea or some expertise that you want to share with fellow members, why not write an article for issue 5 of The Protagonist?

To find out more please email [email protected].

No 5


Q U O T E C O R N E R : A T H O U G H T O N T H E F U T U R E“In this politically and economically turbulent climate with Brexit, cuts to research funding are likely to be made. This will lead to an increase in competitiveness for securing funding and a need for the research itself, as well as the researchers, to be of the highest quality. This in turn could lead to a greater number of diverse and innovative collaborations, especially in this age of rapidly advancing communications and technology. In order for research management and administration to successfully meet these challenges we will need creative leaders within these institutions to come forward with the strategic agility, operational insight, and clear vision to be able to tackle these issues.”

K E E P Y O U R E Y E O N T H I S B U R S A RY S C H E M EThe Joan Hughes Bursary Scheme will open for applications in October. This Scheme aims to enable and support specific professional development activity for ARMA members.

There are three distinct funding streams:

Professional Development Bursary (£270 each; up to 6 awards annually) Covers the registration fee of an ARMA Professional Development Workshop or Webinar, non-ARMA training provision, or a non-ARMA conference.

UK Travel Bursary (£250 each; up to 6 awards annually) Covers travel and subsistence costs within the UK where these are demonstrably prohibitive to participation in an ARMA Professional Development Workshop, non-ARMA training provision, or a non-ARMA conference.

Innovation Bursary (£1,250 each; up to 2 awards annually) Supports a project or initiative that directly or indirectly enhances collective knowledge and understanding of best practice in research management and administration.

D R S I M O N K E R R I D G E A P P O I N T E D T O T H E C A S R A I B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R SARMA is pleased to congratulate Dr Simon Kerridge on his appointment to the CASRAI Board of Directors, which happened in late April.

CASRAI is an international nonprofit membership initiative led by research institutions and their partners. Its mission is to adapt the principles and best practices of open standards and data governance to lead and facilitate key stakeholders in annual deliberations to develop ‘standard information agreements’ that serve as bridges between research information users.

CASRAI agreements cover all the key information requirements that relate to the management of research throughout its life cycle. This includes information requirements related to applications for funds, CVs, project and funds management, compliance requirements, and reporting, as well as research data management and scholarly communications.

For more information on CASRAI visit: http://casrai.org/about.

Ch iara Si ngh-Fish er Researc h Admi n istrator, Cardi ff Un iversity Sc hool of Medic i n e

C A L L I N G A L L A R M A AWA R D S W I N N E R S

At its most recent conference, ARMA presented seven awards to its members for various achievements in research management and administration. Here, we spotlight those winners

S T E F F H A Z L E H U R S T , U N I V E R S I T Y O F C U M B R I A , U K

T H E C A R T E R A W A R D F O R O U T S T A N D I N G C O N T R I B U T I O N T O A R M A

P H I L WA R D , U N I V E R S I T Y O F K E N T , U K

T E C H N O L O G Y I N N O VA T I O N A N D A P P L I C A T I O N

A W A R D S P O N S O R E D BY P I I R U S

Phil has been active in social media in research management and administration for almost 10 years. During this time, he has developed a well-regarded, innovative and sometimes humorous blog, Research Fundermentals. Over the years he has posted over 700 entries on the blog and tweeted, as @frootle, over 13,000 times. This prolific output has raised the profile of research administration as a profession at the same time as ‘keeping it real’ and seeing the funnier side of our jobs. This mix of information and humour has enabled him to grow this endeavour into something with a large and influential following. For example, many research council staff read his blog. At the end of last year, he was recognised by Jisc as one of the top 50 social media influencers in UK higher education as a whole. He has raised the profile of the profession and shown others how to emulate this success.

Steff Hazlehurst has been a member of ARMA since 1996. She was instrumental in organising and developing a number of areas that have helped the Association grow from around 100 members to its current size. Not long after joining the Association, she was elected to the Executive Committee, and she turned her attentions to developing the first Association website as well as a membership database and a web-based event booking system. She was a co-organiser for many of the ARMA conferences, including the INORMS 2008 conference, which went on to be a huge success and was attended by over 500 people from 30 countries. Other roles that Steff took

on while working directly or indirectly for ARMA include acting as the Association Treasurer, setting up the initial Executive Office and acting as a returning officer for elections. She also drove membership growth by developing the idea of group membership. Latterly in her career, Steff has not stopped contributing to the practice of research management, particularly as Head of Research and Consultancy Services at the Institute of Education, University of London.

No 6


C A L L I N G A L L A R M A AWA R D S W I N N E R S

K AT I E P O R T E R , H A M I LT O N H E A LT H

S C I E N C E S C O R P O R AT I O N , C A N A D A

O U T S T A N D I N G C O N T R I B U T I O N T O R E S E A R C H M A N A G E M E N T

A N D A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

A W A R D S P O N S O R E D BY T H O M S O N R E U T E R S

Katie Porter has expanded her role far beyond her demanding position of Director, Research Administration at a large teaching hospital, to that of a truly exceptional career. Katie’s ongoing outreach to diverse communities has enhanced the reputation of the profession and the standards of research management. In addition to her professional role at Hamilton Health Sciences, Katie serves on a research ethics board and teaches at McMaster University. She has also taught at Humber College, led webinars for ARMA, Ontario Cancer Research Institute, the Association of Clinical Research Professionals, the Canadian Association of Research Administrator (CARA) and other associations. Her publishing and speaking alone has made a major impact in research management, both nationally and internationally, and she has provided valuable tools to our community.

I M PA C T L E A D E R S P R O G R A M M E , E S R C I A A M A N A G E M E N T T E A M ,

U N I V E R S I T Y O F N O T T I N G H A M , U K

I M P A C T A W A R D

A W A R D S P O N S O R E D BY I N O R M S 2 016 M E L B O U R N E

The Impact Leaders Programme brings together academic specialists from across social sciences and links them with businesses and public sector organisations in order to exchange knowledge and improve skills between the University and stakeholder organisations. The Programme has made an exceptionally positive contribution to the identification, promotion and translation of research into impact by bringing together academics from across the University and helping them to work with external stakeholders to facilitate the co-production of research and maximise its usefulness. This is a flagship programme for the University, enhancing research enterprise and building meaningful new and ongoing relationships with stakeholders.

No 7


E X P L O R AT H O N , U N I V E R S I T I E S O F

A B E R D E E N , G L A S G O W, S T A N D R E W S ,

S T R AT H C LY D E A N D E D I N B U R G H , U K

C O L L A B O R A T I O N A W A R D

A W A R D S P O N S O R E D BY K N O W I N N O VAT I O N

On Friday, 26 September 2014 and Friday, 25 September 2015, more than 17,000 citizens across Scotland engaged with groundbreaking research as part of EXPLORATHON (European Researchers’ Night Scotland). Simultaneously, over 300 cities across Europe highlighted the relevance and importance of research to their respective public and stakeholder communities in what has become the world’s largest single knowledge exchange celebration. Researchers who participated in EXPLORATHON said it helped them with confidence-building, networking, communications skills, and evaluation and event planning.


No 8

C ATA LY S T F O R C H A N G E , T H E A B E R D E E N P U B L I C

E N G A G E M E N T W I T H R E S E A R C H U N I T ( P E R U ) ,

U N I V E R S I T Y O F A B E R D E E N , U K

P U B L I C E N G A G E M E N T A N D A D V O C A C Y

A W A R D S P O N S O R E D BY E L S EV I E R

Practical engagement experience aligned to mutual benefit for academic and external communities is at the core of the PERU mission. Based on six cultural change mechanisms, PERU’s strategy has seen academic engagement increase by 20% each year since 2012. Providing a suite of over 300 opportunities per year, PERU offers staff and students the first steps into public engagement. It has also established a ‘Public Research Interest Group’ and continues to pronounce that public engagement can benefit academic endeavours rather than compete with them.

R E S E A R C H D E V E L O P M E N T T E A M ,

L O N D O N S C H O O L O F E C O N O M I C S

A N D P O L I T I C A L S C I E N C E ( L S E ) , U K

R E S E A R C H M A N A G E M E N T T E A M O F T H E Y E A R

A W A R D S P O N S O R E D BY W O R KT R I B E

This nomination is an acknowledgement of the recent positive changes in research support brought about by the Research Development Team in the Research Division at LSE. The team rose to the challenge of enabling LSE’s internationally renowned academic staff to navigate a more complex and challenging research funding environment. The team developed a framework to adapt and implement best practices throughout LSE, creating a model that could also be adopted and transferred to other institutions. Statistics show that the new strategy is obtaining the sought results. Instead of submitting more applications, LSE academics are successfully applying to larger and more prestigious funding schemes (in the last three years the percentage of large grants went up from 46% to 75%).

No 9


No 10


TWO storms brewed over the rather splendid venue for this year’s

ARMA conference in Birmingham.While a romping, good electrical storm quickly reset the muggy weather, the uncertain political climate hanging over the Higher Education (HE) sector will clearly take longer to settle down.

“We’re facing unprecedented change … some of the biggest changes we’ve seen in a number of decades, in fact,” said ARMA Conference Director David Coombe, opening the event.

This announcement set the tone as we took our seats in the cavernous Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. At least some details of the major changes looming are becoming clearer – the Government’s Spending Review; a direction of travel in the White Paper; and, in the pipeline, the Lord Stern-led review of the Research Excellence Framework (REF).

It was my first ARMA conference as I begin to work in the HE sector, having led a number of high-impact projects for the BBC. I was intrigued to understand the challenges facing our universities – and the responses to them – and keen to share my experience in the field of impact, broadcast and, indeed, change.

SIMILAR CHALLENGES FOR THE BBC AND ARMAI was immediately struck by the similarities between the BBC’s own predicament and that of the HE sector. Most obviously, the Corporation faces similarly intense Government scrutiny, together with huge pressures on funding.

Conference panellist Ehsan Masood, Editor of Research Fortnight, also picked up on the parallels, focusing on arguably the most sensitive area – that of accountability.

In the Government’s White Paper on the future of the BBC, the accountability structure remains the one area where the Corporation and Government, shall we say, agreed to differ – for the moment anyway. Nobody is arguing the BBC Trust should stay in its current form, but who appoints the members of the proposed Unitary Board – and the BBC/non-BBC balance of this Board – is of critical democratic importance. For some, if we get the balance wrong, then the BBC effectively becomes a state broadcaster.

In the HE sector, the issue of governance appears similarly contentious. As with the BBC, it appears to revolve around power, control, intervention (interference?) – call it what you will. For the HE sector, argues Ehsan Masood, a main area of concern around research funding is the proposed

restructure of the funding bodies and the creation of a new overarching body, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – dubbed ‘You-cry’ on social media.

In short, where will the checks and balances lie to ensure the system does not become exposed to the risk of unfettered political whim?

“If you don’t like what’s being proposed, it’s time to speak up,” is Ehsan’s rallying cry.

Dame Julia Goodfellow, as President of Universities UK, later highlighted the external happenings that could drive even more change – i.e. those the sector itself cannot truly influence or control. The two main ones relate to politics – the EU Referendum was big at the time, of course, and the US Elections, which are right around the corner.

Another question that hung over the conference was: how will the sector respond to so much change happening around the same time?

Dame Goodfellow boosted confidence in the room by reminding delegates just how high-performing our universities were – second only to the US for the number of Nobel Prizes. Second again when it

Following the ARMA annual conference in June, journalist and former BBC Executive Craig Henderson offers a fresh perspective on some of the current challenges facing the sector. He draws parallels between the BBC’s own tough journey through Charter Renewal and reminds ARMA members to speak up for the importance of their sector

I T ’ S T I M E T O S P E A K U P

No 11


came to innovation in the world. World-renowned for excellence in research, in science … the list goes on and on.

A CHANGE IS GONNA COMEWe were also reminded that change is not all bad. The new Global Challenge Fund proposed in the White Paper was cited as an example. Designed to target research towards the big challenges posed in the developing countries, it seemed to be universally well-received around the conference.

Over the two days, I doodled myself a ‘Wordle’. Not scientific – by a long way – but just marking down references to key words, and making them bigger the more times they are mentioned.

Prominent were the words linked to the current big themes – government, change, challenges, funding, innovation, structures, social media, excellence, research, the EU Referendum. They were all large.

In there, too, were words linked to past change and the heritage of the University sector – waldegrave, ‘dual support’, haldane, world-beating…

Perhaps more revealing were the words that did not appear in my non-scientific Wordle. With so much change ahead,

might we have expected to see ‘leadership’ and ‘vision’ there more prominently, and maybe ‘partnerships’, too (i.e. a greater sense of ‘we’re all in this together’)?

Admittedly, with so many changes still unclear at that time, this may have been expecting too much. But one thing that remains clear to me – having the advantage of being a relative ‘newbie’ to the sector – is that in the face of such change, old battles or moans really do need to be set aside, and quickly.

Dame Goodfellow quipped how complaints about the REF have quickly paled into relative insignificance in the face of the major changes ahead.

Listening to some of the smaller discussion groups, I took Dame Goodfellow's lead and collated my own list of things you really need to put behind you if the HE institution is to thrive in the face of such significant change. Let’s just say, it didn’t take me long to establish my very own five-point plan!

By the end of the Conference there was little doubt that by 2017 the world will start to look and feel a very different place for those working in the HE sector. Ditto, the BBC.

However, it also remained clear that both the HE sector and the BBC are world-

beating organisations. Both play a huge part in the economy. Both articulate the UK’s cultural excellence on a world stage.

We shouldn’t underestimate how much the public and our politicians need constant reminders of such facts.

CRAIG HENDERSON has recently led a number of high-impact editorial projects with the BBC – projects that have involved major institutions and academics as partners. These

have included World War One at Home (AHRC/Imperial War Museums/UWE) and Shakespeare on Tour (AHRC/Universities of De Montfort, Southampton and Toronto; and the British Library). He has also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Radio Four on A History of the World in 100 Objects. Most recently Head of Programmes for BBC English Regions, Craig is now specialising on impact, broadcast and change within the HE sector. You can contact him at [email protected]

profi le

No 12


As part of this year’s Annual Conference, we gave out bulls to our attendees. Here, we present a collage of pictures showcasing all the fabulous things our Bull did during the course of the conference

G R A B B I N G B I R M I N G H A M B Y T H E H O R N S

The Bull really enjoyed helping to put together issue 3 of The Protagonist ahead of this year's annual conference.

No 13


The Bull listened to several speakers at this year's Annual Conference. In this session, he is learning about research and the global university.

The Bull decided to test the microphones before plenary speakers took the stage.

This year's Annual Conference had an array of food and drink to keep you full of energy, which our Bull enjoyed as well.

Our Bull wants to thank you for coming to this year's conference!

Meeting new people and sourcing new opportunities is a big part of attending the Annual Conference. Turn to page 28 for tips on how you can improve your networking skills.

It is important to come to the conference ready to network and make new contacts.

Looking forward to seeing you in 2017! More information will soon be available at www.armaconference.com

No 14


ARMA wants to help you be the best research manager or administrator you can be. As such, we are expanding and improving our suite of training and development opportunities. Here, we present our upcoming events based on learning good practice, leadership and technical skills

WA N T T O TA K E Y O U R R M A S K I L L S T O T H E N E X T L E V E L ?

ROUTES TO IMPACT13 October Wellcome Collection, London

This introductory GPE workshop focuses on the diverse routes to impact and the various ways in which they can be supported. It will also consider: developing impact strategies by drawing on REF 2014 experiences; funding and the use of impact acceleration accounts; and how impact can be supported from the pre-award stage and throughout the lifecycle of a project. Participants will consider approaches in their own institution through an interactive workshop.

IMPROVING IMPACT PRACTICE AND STRENGTHENING IMPACT DELIVERY 7 December York, The Park Inn

REF 2014 demonstrated that universities in the UK have had significant research impact. 139 institutions had an impact GPA of over 2.0, and over 80 institutions (more than half of institutions submitted) had an impact GPA of 3.0 or higher. The pressing issue now is how to ‘do’ impact better. This training session will address this increasingly important topic by discussing the increasing extent to which impact is embedded in institutions, how best to approach knowledge exchange and impact, and how to evidence impact more effectively. Attendees will also learn from each other’s experiences by sharing best practices.

Good Practice Exchange

Our Good Practice Exchange (GPE) training and development (T&D) events are a great opportunity to share experiences and expertise with colleagues in small, structured group discussions. The workshops are interactive and are open to 20-30 delegates.

No 15


SUPPORTING RESEARCH PROPOSALS 26 October Wellcome Collection, London

This one-day workshop is geared towards those wanting to develop their skills and knowledge to support academics in the research proposal process. Building on the ARMA Induction Workshop, these T&D sessions will teach attendees about the importance and best practices of full economic costing; how to prepare a project budget; ways to support academics in the writing of proposals; and the concept of demand management and how it relates to quality assurance processes. Other related issues such as managing risk, making ethical decisions and submitting proposals will also be discussed, and attendees will be provided with a comprehensive overview of the peer-review process.

POST-AWARD FINANCE 3 November Leeds, The Novotel

This one-day workshop offers an introduction to the technical aspects of post-award administration and is suitable for staff that are new or fairly new to their role.

DELIVERING RESEARCH MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION 8 November London, Woburn House

This workshop will help participants deliver high-quality research management and administration to underpin and support excellence in research. Topics that will be discussed include understanding the impact that supporting excellent research will have on the organisation and how to provide resources for such research.

INTRODUCTION TO METRICS 15 November Wellcome Collection, London

Metrics are becoming increasingly important to the way universities and institutions run and make decisions, as any research manager or administrator will be able to tell you. The Introduction to Metrics workshop will help delegates acquire the knowledge and behaviours required to better utilise metrics in their roles.

SUPPORTING POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH 8 December Wellcome Collection, London

This workshop provides an opportunity for staff in central and department graduate schools – or those in departments working with postgraduate students – to update their knowledge and understanding of the current postgraduate research environment.

LEADING RESEARCH MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION 20-21 October Warwick, Scarman House

The aim of this residential workshop is to help new or aspiring senior research managers develop their strategic planning and thinking skills in relation to the leadership of research management and administration. This workshop will teach attendees how to position research management and administration at their organisation within broader local, national and international contexts.

Technical

Technical Knowledge Workshops focus on helping delegates to acquire the knowledge and behaviours required to undertake particular aspects of their role. Each of these T&D events will hone in on specific areas of great importance to being a successful research manager and administrator.

Leadership

What differentiates a manager from a leader, and how can you achieve this important difference? These are two of many questions that will be touched on in our upcoming leadership events. These events are aimed at senior research managers and leaders who want to work on developing their strategic planning and processes.

No 16


WHAT’S the Golden Rule of writing a paper? Having someone read

it. This Golden Rule also applies to writing funding applications. Perhaps it is even more important in this regard, given all of the rewards that come from submitting a successful application, both for individual researchers and institutions as a whole.

BENEFITS, BENEFITS EVERYWHEREThe internal review process is a tool that institutions should have in place to make sure that funding applications stand the best chance of success. Put simply, there are many reasons why we, as research managers and administrators, should bother with internally reviewing research funding applications before they are sent outside the walls of our universities and organisations.

First, the internal review process helps us ensure that the best possible applications are submitted to the funding body. Staff agree the review process improves their applications. I have had many experiences in the past where someone who has been resistant to the review has afterwards commented on how helpful the whole process was in assuring that their bid was fit for submission. According to many of the researchers I have worked with, review by peers (who often have had experience

Jane Farrow, Research Support Manager in the Research Office at Birmingham City University, shares her thoughts on the power of the internal review process when it is used effectively

W H Y B O T H E R I N T E R N A L L Y R E V I E W I N G FUND ING APPL I CAT IONS ?

No 17


with the same funder), combined with constructive comments from a variety of staff – including the intelligent lay person – have proved invaluable.

Another benefit of the internal review process is that it gives the applicant the opportunity to ensure that the proposed research fits with the funding programme’s objectives and its funding criteria. Too many applications fail to even reach the evaluation stage because of non-research issues not being addressed. For example, I recently saw a case in which an applicant had used a fellow member of staff as a referee. This was explicitly not allowed under the funder’s rules. A central research office staff would have spotted this during the internal review.

Finally, the internal review process ensures that faculty and Central Research Support Services are aware of applications. It also ensures that the research proposed aligns with faculty and university research plans and strategies, and that the university doesn’t accidentally submit more applications than allowed per institution in situations where this is not allowed.

INTRODUCING THE INTERNAL REVIEW PANELSo, now that you are hopefully convinced of the benefits that the internal review process

has to offer, an important next step is to decide how best to review the applications.

An Internal Review Panel is a safety mechanism for ensuring that the benefits of the review process are realised. It also ensures that staff are alerted to funding calls where the number of applications are limited (often to one per institution) and that any ethical issues have been fully addressed.

The panel can be made up of any number of people, but experience has shown me that the best panels include:

• A Principal Investigator and any Co-Investigator

• An Associate Dean for Research or his/her nominated representative

• A university’s Research Support Manager

• Faculty finance staff

• A member of academic staff who has bid to the same funder and/or has good knowledge of the funder’s programmes and evaluation criteria

After reviewing the application – which should be submitted to the panel in the

form that it will be submitted to the funder – the panel members will give advice, suggest amendments or changes, and seek clarity where necessary.

To give applicants enough time to implement these changes, the panel review deadline should be scheduled so that it works back from the call or the internal submission deadline.

JANE FARROW is Research Support Manager in the Research Office at Birmingham City University. She also leads a cross-university research operational group, is a member of

the University’s Employee Forum and a representative on the University’s Steering Group for Athena SWAN. Jane has mentored primary students, encouraging them to stay in education. She plays badminton, loves dancing (doing and watching), the cinema and theatre – and endures Zumba classes as she also loves to eat, a lot!

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TOP TIPS

• Make sure your internal review process builds in capacity to deal with any last-minute bids because, occasionally, some applications may have to be dealt with more swiftly than the usual processes allow

• In addition to the Institutional Approver on the JeS system, make good use of the various pool options within JeS by populating these with the most relevant and useful staff. However, note that big changes are planned for JeS, as the current system will be phased out gradually throughout 2017

• You may run into initial resistance from Principal Investigators (PIs), especially ones who have never been through the review process before. But after having their proposals reviewed in this way, most PIs report that they found the process invaluable

• Build good relationships with your colleagues in Research Support

• Funders expect that we have thoroughly reviewed any applications, that we have read their guidelines, are clear in what we say the research is aiming to do, that the institution supports this idea and that we all talk to each other! Our reputation is at risk if we don’t

No 18


O how did my Certificate in Research Administration (CRA) journey begin?

I had been looking for a relevant postgraduate/professional qualification when I first moved to the UK over six years ago. Originally, I trained as a researcher in the fields of agriculture and food engineering, and undertaking another three-year PhD after having just completed a two-year MSc course did not really appeal to me at the time.

I was looking for a course that was practical, useful and would be able to provide me with the skills and knowledge to transition from a research role to a research management role. Up to that point, I had only uncovered courses being offered in the US, but fortunately, two years ago ARMA launched the CRA in the UK. The CRA was heaven-sent – a gift to help me achieve my career development goals!

For those of you who have never heard of the CRA before, it is a part-time professional qualification delivered by ARMA that is designed to provide students with an all-round introduction to the profession. It provides students like me (and maybe you one day!) with self-guided learning and assessment opportunities through work-based portfolios and submission of written work, based on personal experience and research. There is also a requirement to undertake some formal learning via ARMA training or other recognised training providers, which I found to be enjoyable, as was the contact time I had with my professional mentor.

Having gone through it myself, I can contend that undertaking a CRA will ensure you are equipped with the essential knowledge and skills required to be a successful research administrator. I highly recommend the CRA for anyone looking to enter into the field of research administration, or to take the next step in their research administration career.

Mary Caspillo-Brewer explains what inspired her to work towards ARMA’s Certificate in Research Administration, and provides tips to individuals thinking about taking on the CRA

M Y C R A J O U R N E Y

No 19


HAVE A PL ANAs I started my CRA journey, I was quickly reminded of the quote from Alan Lakein: “Failing to plan is planning to fail”.

In order to be successful at the CRA – or anything, really – you need to have a concrete and achievable plan in place.

When creating my plan, I found it useful to write down a checklist of the requirements needed to complete the unit assignment before starting the writing-up process. In particular, it was extremely useful to plan ahead and book meetings in advance with relevant UCL colleagues to seek their inputs for relevant sections of the assignments.

MENTORING AND SUPPORTI valued the support and advice that I received from my CRA mentor. Although we were not able to regularly meet face-to-face, it was useful to be able to contact them by email or telephone if I needed quick advice for a particular assignment. It was extremely valuable that my line manager and our head of department were very supportive during the whole two years by allowing me to work flexibly when I was completing the written assignment, and for providing financial support for the course fee and registration fee for the ARMA conference last year.

MIND THE WORD L IMITWhen I started writing the first two unit assignments, I struggled with keeping within the strict word limit. I learned throughout the CRA qualification course that it is extremely important to focus on addressing the learning outcomes. Add other relevant resources as appendices!

KNOWLEDGE SHARINGI do believe that the eight papers I have put together as part of my CRA are very good resources for colleagues, not just in research support but also for academics and researchers. All my assignments have been uploaded on our departmental intranet page and I have rewritten and posted them on my blog: https://researchcoordinatorblog.wordpress.com.

I am also now a CRA mentor, and I hope to pass on all the knowledge I have gained to another colleague embarking on their CRA journey.

THE PERKSI feel that all the practical knowledge that I have gained in the last two years has been very valuable as I progress in my current role as the departmental research coordinator. Crucially, I have been able to incorporate all the learning outcomes of the assignments into my objectives at my annual appraisal, and my hard work has been recognised with the awarding of two accelerated increment points in this year’s promotions round.

The Certificate in Research Administration

(CRA) is a combination of six mandatory and

two optional units that provides students with

an appropriate grounding in the core areas of

research administration, whilst at the same time

offering students the flexibility to study units

that may also be of general interest to them. The

CRA has been developed by ARMA in partnership

with ATHE, which is a regulated Ofqual

awarding organisation.

MARY CASPILLO-BREWER has worked within large research-intensive universities in the UK, Thailand and the Philippines for the last 14 years. She has been at UCL since March 2012, working as the Research Coordinator at the UCL Institute for Global Health. On weekends, Mary is busy making delicious French macarons and selling them at artisan food fairs in and around West London.

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GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THE CRA QUALIFICATION

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WHY DID YOU BECOME AN ASSESSOR?I have survived over 20 years of cradle to grave research administration and management across five very different higher education and research institutions, and the lessons I have learned in this time are innumerable. I have also been involved with many multidisciplinary, national and international collaborations and teams. I feel that my knowledge of the research environment and its business drivers, my understanding of policy and the economy, and my operational experience can facilitate learning and development for other research professionals.

WHAT EXPERIENCE OF ASSESSING DID YOU HAVE PRIOR TO BECOMING AN ASSESSOR?Nothing formal! I had been responsible for devising and delivering research management training to teams in previous posts and, although there was an element of assessment, this was informal and very much an on-the-job part of training for less well-established staff and research teams.

I became a mentor for ARMA in 2013 as part of its pilot scheme, and I gained many benefits from participating. At the same time, I became a mentor within my own institution, and I continue to provide mentoring to professional management and administration colleagues across a variety of professional settings and situations. Both mentoring and training give me a sense of satisfaction, and this feeling motivated me to apply to become an assessor last year.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE ASSESSOR TRAINING YOU RECEIVED FROM ARMA?The training and support I received from ARMA was first-rate. The support from peers at ARMA and the professional development team has been invaluable. I have become well-versed in the general principles of competence-based assessment, with particular attention to validity, transparency, subjectivity and consistency in the important task of evidencing how students meet learning outcomes and judging the standards required of the content against criteria.

YOU HAVE NOW ASSESSED THREE ROUNDS OF CERTIFICATE IN RESEARCH MANAGEMENT (CRM) SUBMISSIONS. HOW DOES THAT FEEL?It was daunting at first! In the first cycle in April 2015, I was filled with a combination of anticipation and trepidation. Marking is not anonymous to the students, so I was acutely aware of the need to provide feedback that aimed to encourage and motivate them, especially if the submissions didn’t meet the learning outcomes. I imagine I took longer to assess the first batch than more experienced assessors as I wanted to keep checking I hadn’t missed anything!

However, each time, I’ve become more confident in assessing, and probably a little quicker. I look forward to reading the submissions and crafting useful feedback. I am conscious that some students may be unfamiliar with the style of independent learning that the qualifications require,

Jane Dowson – a Certificate in Research Management assessor for ARMA – shares her journey to become an assessor and talks about what it is like assessing qualification seekers, helping to turn them into world-class research managers and administrators

A D V I C E F R O M A N A S S E S S O R

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A D V I C E F R O M A N A S S E S S O R

or they may have been out of 'study mode' for a while. I can see how much effort has often gone into submissions, even if they have not achieved a Pass at that time, and I am constantly impressed.

CAN YOU GIVE US A FLAVOUR OF WHAT YOU FOUND WHEN ASSESSING?There are some excellent examples of workplace-based cases that have been very well articulated and integrated into submissions. Many students have clearly reflected on their learning experiences and made good use of professional mentoring relationships, both in ARMA and their own institutions. I am pleased to see so many strong links and references made to other (non-research) professional management and administration methods and approaches, such as project and operations management, which really strengthens content and demonstrates wider and broader thinking.

DO YOU HAVE ANY TOP TIPS OR SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDENTS?There are some common areas for improvement that are relevant to all students. The most obvious one is proofreading – or lack of it! Ask someone who knows nothing about your work to read through your submission. This 'sense checking' can make the difference between simply understanding your area and being able to clearly articulate your knowledge base and how it is applied.

Second, think about your target audience. This will help you to choose appropriate vocabulary and help you shape the format and structure. A text-heavy submission might pass, but breaking the text up with good use of case studies, tables, diagrams, images and extracts from pertinent reports can often help the content flow more easily, making reading the work a pleasure. If you feel your word length may be compromised by adding non-text items, put some of them in appendices. Show off your knowledge to the best of your ability by thinking about how you write, not just writing what you know!

A third piece of advice is to use evidence to strengthen your claims. Often, students will share opinions without really effectively backing them up with examples or evidence. Moreover, make sure you cite properly. Not citing the original source correctly, or at all, means there is an increased risk of plagiarism. Referencing just takes practice, so make use of your professional mentor or ARMA professional development team to support and develop your understanding and use of referencing.

Finally, address the comments and questions suggested by your assessors (and if you don’t understand, ask). Whether you have passed or been referred, all feedback is vital to consolidating your learning and helping you to progress your professional development to the next level.

JANE DOWSON is currently Business Development Lead at the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool, a unique tripartite partnership between the University of Liverpool, the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Marie Curie. She has been a member of ARMA since 1994 and has enjoyed a wide variety of research management and administration posts including project, programme and departmental management; delivery of research training; income generation; and post-award, audit, contractual and governance management.

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No 22


STEPHANIE BALES C H A I R

Stephanie joined the research office at Northumbria University in 2004 as a Research Development Manager before becoming the Assistant Director for Research in 2009

and Director of Research and Business Services in 2012. Her role as Director includes responsibility for research, business engagement, and staff and student enterprise. She has experience in most areas of research administration and management, including policy and strategy development, research information, pre-award, post-award, research integrity, impact, research training and development, and the REF. Prior to her role as Chair, Stephanie was part of the Training and Development Committee for five years – the last two of which she spent as its Chair.

M EE T T H E B OA R D

Earlier this year, you voted for your new Board of Directors – the men and women you thought were best placed to govern ARMA and ensure its success. Now, the results are in so we invite you to meet your 2016-17 Board

No 23


NIKKI MUCKLE D I R E C T O R

Having worked in various roles in research management for 18 years, Nikki is currently responsible for Warwick’s policy engagement in both London and Europe. She works closely with senior management to

develop and maintain strategic links with external policy makers and to develop partnerships with industry and key stakeholders. She also supports engagement across international, European and national networks to develop durable collaborations that support future plans for research, impact and other forms of engagement.

DAVID COOMBE D I R E C T O R O F C O N F E R E N C E P L A N N I N G

David is the Director of the Research Division at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has responsibilities for a team that manages all aspects of externally funded

research, the REF and the Higher Education Innovation Fund. Previously, he was Director of Research Services at Kent and Head of Administration at the Kent Business School. He has held various posts at the University of Kent and Swansea University, and is motivated by a drive to deliver great service. He is committed to research managers and administrators’ professional development through ARMA’s annual conference, training opportunities and professional education.

TONY WEIR D I R E C T O R O F M E M B E R S H I P S E R V I C E S

Tony has a long history in research management and administration, which began in 1996 at Royal Holloway. He is now Deputy Director of Research and Enterprise Services at Heriot-Watt

University and is responsible for a range of research-related activities, including funding, REF, governance, ethics and impact. As ARMA’s Director of Membership Services, he leads the Committee in their responsibilities, which include the Joan Hughes Bursary Scheme, study tours and the mentoring programme, as well as other business development opportunities.

HA MISH M AC ANDREWD I R E C T O R

Hamish has been in research management for the past 18 years and has been Head of the Research Office at University of Edinburgh for the past 10. During his time at the University, he has instigated

research development and knowledge exchange activities for what is now the College of Humanities and Social Science. Prior to that, Hamish had a varied career in retail, marketing and event management, with particular experience in charity and third sector organisations.

L INSEY D ICKSON D I R E C T O R O F P R O F E S S I O N A L Q U A L I F I C AT I O N S

Linsey has worked in research administration for the past 15 years, and is currently Head of Research Funding at the University of Stirling. Having previously worked at Heriot-Watt

University and Edinburgh College of Art, she now specialises in proposal development, project management and training. In particular, she spends much of her time working on large strategic applications and fellowships, while also looking at innovative ways to support early career researchers. As Director of Professional Qualifications, Linsey is committed to delivering professionalisation and recognition for the research management and administration sector.

DR JOHN ROGERS D E P U T Y C H A I R

John has worked in Higher Education management and administration for over 25 years. He is currently Director of Research and Enterprise at the University of Stirling, where he

manages an integrated portfolio covering strategy and policy, grant and contract funding, research assessment, researcher development, research governance and integrity, innovation, knowledge exchange and commercialisation. Prior to joining Stirling, John worked at the University of Manchester, where he was responsible for student recruitment, public relations, international relations and research support. He is a member of the Scottish Funding Council Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee and Chair of the Board of Stirling University Innovation Park.

No 25


were not selected for submission know, the case studies that have been published by HEFCE are just the tip of the iceberg – and a highly polished tip at that.

“If we thought REF 2014 had narrowed us down to reporting a selected range of instrumental impacts, then the next REF is likely to be far more selective. Now we know exactly what makes a 4* impact, other equally important types of impact – such as awareness raising and conceptual impact via public engagement – are less likely to be submitted to many Units of Assessment. Few of us are aware of it, but this social construction of impact is occurring as we speak in universities across the country, as they decide at this early stage which impacts to encourage and support. The iceberg is being polished into an increasingly narrow tip.”

AN INSIGHT INTO THE HANDBOOKMark believes that in order to tackle growing cynicism, a new breed of leaders who can lead by example from the bottom up is needed. These must be people who are passionate about making a difference and can inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

He also argues that there is evidence that this is already happening. The initial rush of

activity to appoint Impact Officers has now given way to a recognition that we also need academic champions who can empathise with the challenges that other researchers face, because like them, they too have had to balance impact with research, teaching and administration. In many universities, these posts are being elevated to Director of Impact roles that have equal standing with more established Directors of Research.

The Research Impact Handbook is a resource for all administrators charged with facilitating impact. Ged Hall, Innovation and Enterprise Senior Training and Development Officer at the University of Leeds, said: “This book is just what all researchers new to impact need. Mark Reed's approach to impact is grounded, considered, effective, yet humble and easy to follow.”

The Research Impact Handbook by Professor Mark Reed is a call to arms

for research administrators passionate about impact. As the first book to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based guide to generating impact, Mark’s book is getting positive feedback from across the research administration community.

REF: JUST ANOTHER BOX TO TICK?Though the next REF is still at least four years away, research administrators around the UK are already asking their academics to draft impact case studies. The introduction of impact to REF was meant to herald a revolution in the way we do research in the UK, and it has been held up as an example internationally. However, there are increasing concerns that the impact agenda is causing more harm than good, and that it is in the hands of extrinsically motivated academics who see impact as 'just another box to tick'.

Talking about his new book, Mark – who is based at Newcastle University – explains:

“If you believe last year’s study by King’s College London, commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the last REF demonstrated the wide range of impact UK research has on society and the economy. However, as those of us who submitted case studies that

MARK REED holds the HEFCE and N8 Chair of Socio-Technical Innovation at Newcastle University and is a visiting Professor at University of Leeds and Birmingham City University. His book, The Research Impact Handbook, was published on 7 April 2016. For more information, visit: www.fasttrackimpact.com/book

The Research Impact Handbook, a new book by Professor Mark Reed, is calling upon academics to reconnect with the heart of the impact agenda – empathy

B O O K R E V I E W : T H E R E S E A R C H I M PA C T H A N D B O O K

No 26


I love that the British Library’s strategy towards our 50th anniversary in 2023 is

called Living Knowledge. To me, that’s the very essence of what we should represent as a national library in a digital age. If you ever wander around the Library’s main site in St Pancras, an incredible public space with an intimidatingly beautiful tower of intellectual thought – the King’s Library – rising at its centre, you’ll notice living knowledge in action.Every day, thousands of people are tapping away on their laptops, searching our collections, having meetings and exploring exhibitions. There are schoolchildren on visits and researchers from all over the world, rushing around with iconic transparent bags between the Reading Rooms.

As the UK’s national library, most people will think of us as an organisation that supports access to information, and of course that’s at the core of what we do, serving millions of people – both onsite and online – every year.

THE WORLD'S KNOWLEDGEIt’s practically impossible to quantify the enormous interdisciplinary research potential of our collections. We have over 170 million collection items, encompassing all fields of knowledge, in hundreds of

languages and in all known formats. The collections cover 3,500 years, from some of the earliest writing on Chinese oracle bones, to today’s broadcast news and archives of UK web content. We also receive a copy of all UK publications, so we do have The Protagonist – shelfmark ZK.9.b.34419, for your reference!

The Library wants to grow its capacity as an independent research organisation, which is the focus of my work and that of the Research Development team. Working with a wide range of external partners, organisations and funders – nationally and internationally – we help our staff make collaborative research projects happen, support their delivery, and engage different audiences with their outcomes. We are a small team with a big remit: coordinating research development, strategy, governance, postgraduate activity and research engagement for the whole organisation.

BUILDING RESEARCH CAPACITYWe collaborate on all scales – from small-scale projects, to large, multi-partner international programmes. Just one example of how we collaborate is the Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded collaborative doctoral partnership scheme. Through this scheme, around 30 postgraduate students are

The British Library is one of the largest in the world and a major research organisation. Dr Allan Sudlow, Head of Research Development, describes some of the Library’s activities and why collaboration can benefit all those involved and the general public

B E Y O N D B O O K S : RESEARCH DEVE LOPMENT AT THE BR I T I SH L I BRARY

No 27


currently researching our collections, and contributing to wider engagement with them, by improving their discovery online, raising awareness through blogs, social media and through our events and exhibitions programme.

This scheme is enabling us to collaborate with higher education institutions across the UK, to validate and enhance the research value of the collections, and open them up to new approaches and perspectives. It also involves working closely with a large network of UK national museums, archives, galleries, libraries and other cultural institutions to provide a unique training and development opportunity to build capacity on a national scale.

OPEN FOR BUSINESSThe Library supports the active creation of new knowledge in any field of enquiry and this is reflected in our staff. Their research expertise spans all forms of traditional and digital scholarship. However, to make the best use of the research capacity of our talented but hard-pressed staff, we need to be really clear on the wider benefits of our collaborations. How will the outcomes of the collaboration enable us to fulfil our core purposes as a national library? Will it help grow our own research capacity? Can the same research aims be better achieved

through use of our Reading Rooms, or other resources and services? What will come out of the collaboration that will benefit others, including our users and the general public?

While that might sound like we don’t want to encourage new collaboration, we definitely do! We are in the process of launching a new Research Collaboration web space, which will give potential partners a better idea of how and why we collaborate, provide some context about how to engage with us, and who to contact. The web space also provides case studies of collaborations and signals forthcoming research and training opportunities with the British Library, including collaborative PhDs, placements and fellowships.

I hope it will encourage your members and researchers at all career stages to think of the British Library not just as a research resource, but as a potential partner.

DR ALL AN SUDLOW is Head of Research Development at the British Library. He leads a team responsible for the development and coordination of the Library’s research strategy. Prior to this,

he led research engagement for science at the Library. Before joining the Library, Allan worked at the Medical Research Council, managing research programmes in policy and strategy development, and was a postdoctoral researcher in academia.

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Email [email protected]

to get in touch with the team

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No 29


THE PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE

• Choose sessions unrelated to your day job that interest you or address some gaps in your knowledge

• Be engaged! When the presenters or facilitators at the conference ask a question or want the audience to get involved in an activity, help them. It will raise the energy in the room, getting more people to join in and WOW! What a great session you’ll be in! It will also create a buzz that will last long beyond the end of the session if you respond and react positively

• Scrutinise the attendee list and target key individuals with whom you want to establish personal contact, for whatever the reason may be, from information sharing to advancing career plans

• Formulate a networking strategy for approaching new people

• Check out the exhibition stands! Go early to figure out those of particular interest, chat to the salespeople, gather material (make sure you have some fabric conference bags in which to put all those goodies!)

• Bring business cards. If you don’t have any, get some. You will meet several people you didn’t know before the conference that you will want to keep in touch with

This year’s annual conference may have already passed, but getting the most out of attending conferences and networking are skills that you need all year round. Rossana Dowsett, a long-standing ARMA member and, once-upon-a-time, its Treasurer, shares lessons she has picked up from her years of networking experience

S O Y O U WA N T T O L E A R N H O W T O N E T W O R K

ROSSANA DOWSETT is Head of Research Development at the University of Sussex, a department that spans research support, research impact and internal research initiatives (pump-prime funding, sandpit events etc). She is actively involved in various professional research networks, most notably ARMA, where she was Treasurer from 2003-06, and more recently was part of the ARMA working group working towards professional accreditation.

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‘ALTERNATIVE’ TIPS

• Outfit coordination. Remember, you are attending a conference, not making a fashion statement! You need a strategy that minimises packing and maximises what you can do with the clothes you’ve brought. First, decide on your base colour (day and evening wear) – this is usually black or brown. Second, build accessories around that base colour – shoes, watches, handbags, makeup, scarves, jewellery, etc. By doing this, you will avoid having to take two different sets of matching stuff, while still looking professional and fab!

• Freebies. Whilst being very professional and checking out the exhibition stands, build rapport with the company reps (free bar drinks later?) and collect freebies (that conference bag will come into its own now!). And don’t forget to pop business cards into any prize drawings … you never know!

• Discretion. What happens at the conference dinner stays at the conference … or does it? After a few glasses of wine, you might think you threw down some great moves on the dancefloor. But in reality, how do you really think you will be remembered?

24 June 2016 signalled an end to EU referendum campaigning, with the Leave camp emerging victorious. With the protracted ushering in of a new era, there are many questions on the lips of those from both sides of the debate. But how might the decision impact the UK research community, now and in the future?

T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F B E I N G I N T E R A C T I V E

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T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F B E I N G I N T E R A C T I V E

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No 32


SO. That’s it. After all the spit, speeches, soundbites and

scaremongering, the results are in. 52 per cent of those who voted chose to leave, with 48 per cent intent on remaining. Britain has decided to leave the EU.

At the time of writing, David Cameron has resigned as the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Theresa May has won a briefly contested leadership battle after Andrea Leadsom withdrew from the race, the pound is slowly recovering having fallen to its lowest mark for 31 years, and David Dimbleby has gone into hibernation.

Such is the complexity of the process of withdrawing from the EU, the fallout from the decision will not be realised for some time. However, given the warnings issued by academics, financial experts and scientists regarding what Brexit could mean for the public – and for members of the research community – there is a keen sense of foreboding.

One thing has become clear in the weeks since the EU referendum: Theresa May is determined to get the best possible deal for the UK and, as such, her recent meetings with leaders across Europe have stressed the need to prepare for withdrawal properly. The solutions must respect the decision of British voters, but also the interests of our European partners.

WHAT WE GOT OUT OF BE ING INIn the weeks and months leading up to the referendum, much was made of how the decision of whether to remain a member of the EU would affect UK science and research. Indeed, more than 150 fellows of the Royal Society stated that the UK’s membership of the EU has boosted UK science and that to leave would be ‘a disaster’.

While it is important to acknowledge that we recognise our individual members have their own opinions on the larger question of the UK’s membership of the EU, in May 2016, we produced a statement on ARMA’s position – one that expressed our concern about the ‘potential consequences of a UK withdrawal from the

EU for the excellence, stability, integrity and collaborative culture that makes the UK research base world leading.’

The UK is one of the largest recipients of EU research funding, which has enabled overall university funding for research to continue to rise, despite a reduction in UK Government funding in recent years. Indeed, between 2007 and 2013, €8.8 billion was allocated to UK research from European funding.

The UK also benefits from supporting research structures, including the European Research Council, Erasmus Programme, Marie Skłodowska-Curie scheme and structural funds, in addition to access to shared facilities, many of which are hosted in the UK. The President of University College London, Michael Arthur, acknowledged that more than 200,000 British students had studied and worked in Europe through the Erasmus exchange programme – one of the best means of unbridled study across Europe. Not only is it possible British students will be unable to study across Europe in a mobile fashion, it could also lead to a dramatic decrease in the number of European researchers studying here.

TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MOREThe UK is a world leader in the research sector and has had the collective strength of the EU research community to collaborate with. The UK also enjoyed significant influence on research and innovation policy within the EU. Being able to contribute to debates and help establish priorities is extremely important in highlighting the needs and interests of UK researchers and institutions.

Now that the decision to leave the EU has been made, ARMA feels this influence will be much diminished, restricting the UK to a position of negotiating from the outside, potentially as an associated country. The full consequences of this are not yet realised, but could be very serious indeed. In 2014, for example, Swiss researchers were exempt from accessing European Research Council grants – thereby

demonstrating that access to EU funding for associated countries can be limited.

REVEAL ING THE L ACK OF APPEALAnother area that has caught our attention is that of student mobility. Where before, individuals were free to move across more amorphous boundaries, Britain’s exit from the EU builds walls. The collaborations – on which many successful research endeavours are built – will be made more arduous; difficult to maintain, near-impossible to form.

Then there is the question of the appeal of UK universities. Funding to study for an EU-international is currently provided, but with Great Britain separating from the EU, eligibility for such funding is brought into question.

Earlier this year, the student recruitment and retention solutions company Hobsons produced a report that found that Brexit would make the prospect of studying in Britain far less attractive to international students. When the results were broken down into EU and non-EU respondents, it was found that over 80 per cent of EU international students thought the UK would be less attractive as a place of study.

INTERACT ION IS NO TRIV IAL PURSUITThe nature of research is often interdisciplinary and far reaching. Disease, climate change, food security, ageing and other global challenges are unlikely to abate any time soon; these issues pay no heed to boundaries and borders – they are indiscriminate in who they affect. Collaboration, free movement, diversity and stable funding are now more important than ever in addressing these challenges.

No one country alone has the capability, capacity and knowledge to be able to research, design and implement solutions – and realise the full extent of their research – in any given field. The Joint Programming Initiatives and Joint Technology Initiatives delivered by the EU are excellent examples of the transnational research endeavours required to maximise the efficacy of

Angela Noble , manager for Europe, researc h support offic e at th e un iversity of Edi n burgh admi n istration

“In the short term, the sector must continue to positively communicate to all that the UK remains fully eligible for European research funding, encouraging its staff to continue applying as normal. We must lobby government to provide real financial commitments and certainties as soon as possible. Longer term, we will all need to work that little bit harder to build – and join – networks, as our colleagues in Switzerland have had to do. Our existing networks will be key to ensuring we are in a position to build stronger partnerships, using that support to lobby for change and improvement in all future EU programmes.”

No 33


research. The value to the UK and wider society of EU-funded research should not be underestimated, and we at ARMA hope our politicians remember this in the months ahead.

The arguments from both sides throughout this campaign have ventured into choppy territory, and many arguments and counter-arguments have been proffered. But there is surely one thing both camps can agree on: research is necessarily an interactive pursuit.

And with Britain’s division from Europe, there is a very real possibility of this interaction stalling. Now, more than ever, there is a need for the research management and administration community to retain hope and remember the importance of a united Europe, irrespective of whether or not the UK is in the EU.

No 34


W ITHIN five days in May, we had a White Paper on Higher Education

(HE), the Queen’s Speech announcing that there was to be a new Act of Parliament on HE, and the publication of the draft Higher Education and Research Bill. While this had been trialled, the pace was – and continues to be – faster than many expected.

Since then, we’ve had the referendum vote to leave the EU, a truncated Conservative Party leadership contest, a new Prime Minister, and the split of HE and research between two government departments.

As I write this in the middle of July, the new Prime Minister is appointing her cabinet, and Jo Johnson has been reappointed as Minister for Universities and Science, reporting to two Secretaries of State. You will be reading it in September, so apologies in advance if what I have written is now completely incorrect!

THE D IRECT ION FOR THE FUTUREIncluded in the draft Higher Education and Research Bill are provisions to create UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI will incorporate the seven Research Councils, Innovate UK, and the research and knowledge exchange elements of Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) as Research England.

Sometimes we might have concerns about the language used in policy documents, such as the White Paper, but it was more easily understandable than the slightly arcane language of the draft Bill!

The reappointment of Jo Johnson does signal the Government’s intention to continue with the direction of travel, so we can expect the Bill to make its way through the Parliamentary

W H AT T O M A K E O F T H E U K R I ?

No 35


processes. The House of Commons may concentrate on the elements relating to student fees, whereas the House of Lords is likely to seek to change the research and innovation aspects.

There has already been much debate and comment on the pros and cons of creating UKRI, which I’ll not repeat here, but what could be the practical effects?

Whilst the continuing independence of each element of UKRI has been assured (in Government rhetoric and, in some respects, in the draft Bill), the possibility and likelihood of joint or combined actions across the Councils is more likely. Indeed, this is one of the justifications that the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) made for UKRI in its rather thin business case, which you can find here: http://bit.ly/UKRIBusinessCase.

GCRF AS MODEL?It can also be seen in practice through the emerging details of the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). In this first phase, calls for proposals are being made singly or bilaterally and are being funded from individual Council budgets. Some Councils are also delivering block grants to their Impact Acceleration Accounts recipients, giving the latter the challenge of spending the additional funds by the end of the year (calendar or fiscal, depending on the Council). In future, there is likely to be a more centrally coordinated and delivered process.

GCRF represents a great opportunity, but in budget terms it also means a reduction for the rest of the Councils’ activities: that was the effect of its announcement in the Autumn Statement in November 2015 (another tumultuous month: Green Paper,

Nurse, Comprehensive Spending Review, Autumn Statement), and is not changed whether the Bill goes through or not.

In this context, where we might envisage more directed calls, both researchers and their institutions will need to be more agile – intellectually and organisationally.

OTHER MODELSThe new department in which research finds itself includes Industrial Strategy as part of its name. Will this mean that Innovate UK will not only be well protected, but could also thrive? Will the Eight (or Nine) Great Technologies be resuscitated? Innovation, as my colleagues at the University of Sussex’s Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) remind me, is at least as much about interactions within and between businesses as it is about the development of research into commercial value.

The exit from the EU will also require changes to the UK funding landscape. Rather than simply adding to existing budgets (assuming that can be afforded, which is not a given), might we see the creation of another super-fund? What would your choice of subject area be?

However, rather than create a new fund (what would come after global challenges?), would it be better to reinvest in the research funded directly by Government, which has suffered significant cutbacks since 2010?

THE ROAD AHEADAll of these happenings and policy changes will mean stepping back from our current models of working; managing and supporting research, rather than concentrating on the

financial transaction that is at the centre of many of our processes.

The creation of UKRI (currently targeted to begin in 2018) and the Brexit processes will keep many of us busy, and take quite some time to settle down. Our challenges are to continue being innovative in supporting research, whilst enabling the generation and application of knowledge.

Dr Ian Carter is Director of Research and Enterprise at the University of Sussex. Here, he takes a look at the policy changes sweeping across the UK, highlighting the Higher Education and Research Bill in particular

DR IAN C ARTER'S career has spanned the capital engineering industry, an interdisciplinary research centre, and university administration and management. He

is currently the Director of Research and Enterprise at the University of Sussex, where he is responsible for the research and knowledge exchange portfolio, including the University's research strategy and policy development, oversight of all externally-funded research and knowledge exchange, and the Doctoral School. He played a leading role in the introduction of full economic costing nationally, and has also been involved in the RAE and REF processes. He was also Chair of ARMA for seven years.

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No 36


The vote to withdraw from the EU in June has put universities’ finances

under further pressure, with worrying implications for the research community.

For some time, efficiency savings have been expected to make a bigger contribution to funding universities’ core activities of teaching and research. Professor Sir Ian Diamond’s Efficiency, Effectiveness and Value for Money report (http://bit.ly/V4MReport), published by Universities UK in 2015, urged the sector to 'continue to demonstrate efficient and effective use of public funding for research'.

Now, with concerns about a post-Brexit research funding shortfall increasing – following reports that European academic bodies are already thinking twice about collaborations with UK academics – it is hardly surprising that universities are thinking even harder about how to make the most of their resources.

IMPACTFUL AND FRUGAL INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION I have written previously in this publication of the role Efficiency Exchange plays in sharing information about how universities are making savings through efficiencies and innovative practice.

We have long been showcasing how universities are working more efficiently and effectively through collaboration and equipment sharing, but now we are starting to hear about more innovative and ambitious projects. And these projects are often done with the purpose of making research more effective and impactful, rather than saving money.

Part of making research more effective is freeing up staff to focus on activities that achieve more impact. Initiatives like the ORCiD identifier – which gives researchers a unique identifier that they carry with them throughout their whole career to join up their various pieces of academic work – and other applications of linked data, such as

facilities and equipment data capture, have the potential to reduce paperwork and promote more effective research. We recently covered a joint project between Edinburgh University and Heriot Watt University to create a paper-free research management system, where information is logged and re-used many times for many purposes.

Similar projects are happening around the country, including Bath, whose ARMA award-nominated digital research information system was designed so that no academic would have to be asked for the same piece of information twice.

Initiatives like this are excellent ways of avoiding duplication and constant form filling, which is a drain on staff time and was a complaint raised in feedback from ARMA members at the 2015 annual conference.

THE RISE OF THE LEAN METHOD Some universities are turning to the Lean

COULD SM ARTER WORK ING HELP SUPPORT POST-BREXIT RES IL IENCE?Rosie Niven, Content Editor at Efficiency Exchange, looks at how the UK’s vote to leave the EU is putting further pressure on universities’ finances and what higher education institutions can do to make the most of their resources

No 37


method – originally developed to cut out waste in Japanese car production – to make their processes work more efficiently. There are many examples of Lean being used in professional services, such as student counselling, human resources and IT helpdesks, but its use in research administration is less common.

But that is all changing. Just this week, I heard about how Northumbria University has turned to Lean to explore how it can make a difference to research and business support. They are hoping to use Lean techniques in three areas: post-award contract set-up, managing funding with external companies, and transfer of grants into the university.

In order to give projects like this the attention they deserve, Efficiency Exchange has a new section at efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/research that aims to give research managers and administrators a dedicated area in which to share their successes. Here you will find articles, case studies and other resources

covering asset sharing, collaboration, innovative practice, and more.

We launched the section at this year’s ARMA conference, and we’ll be using the feedback we received from delegates at the conference to develop it to meet your needs.

We are hoping to share more contributions from members of the research community, which provide inspiration and practical ideas – things that will be especially needed as we navigate these challenging times. So please let us know if you’d like to contribute and also get in touch with any ideas about the topics we should be covering on Efficiency Exchange.

Finally, as we come to terms with life after the vote in favour of Brexit, we’d like to hear your views on how the research community can adjust to this new environment. We are planning to publish a series of articles on how institutions and organisations are planning for Brexit

and seeking to make themselves more resilient in turbulent times.

You are welcome to get in touch with me at [email protected] with any ideas for contributions to this series.

ROSIE N IVEN is a Content Editor at Efficiency Exchange. Prior to starting this role in 2014, she was a freelance online journalist and editor, producing content for a range of websites

including Channel 4 News, The Guardian and the Thomson Foundation. She is a graduate of the University of Sheffield in modern history and politics.

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Efficiency Exchange to keep up to date with developments in higher education’s efficiency programme:

www.efficiencyexchange.ac.uk/subscribe

Follow Efficiency Exchange on Twitter: @EfficiencyEx

S U B S C R I B E T O

No 38


The drive for multidisciplinary research is not new. Indeed, the

need for large teams of researchers from varying disciplines to work together effectively and address complex global challenges continues to intensify. Current government policy foregrounds the ever-growing demand for multi- or inter-disciplinary approaches to research, and a sector that is integrated, strategic and agile to meet existing and emerging research challenges.

Multidisciplinarity is a reality of the daily life of many research teams. However, how well do we actually support it in practice, and how can we enable multidisciplinary research in a sustainable way? Experience indicates that there is no magic formula for ‘making it happen’, and the constant shifting, restructuring and re-aligning of research structures within institutions suggests an ongoing search for the best way to achieve it.

MAKING MULTIDISCIPLINARITY HAPPEN At Brunel University London, our recent restructuring was intended to ‘make it happen’ by structurally embedding

governance and management structures to systematically support, reward and drive multidisciplinarity. The new organisational arrangements entail vertical disciplinary structures and horizontal multidisciplinary structures.

They provide a foundation for the directed deployment of resources, targeted support for disciplinary and multidisciplinary priorities, and new, interesting opportunities to facilitate cross-cutting research. However, as a matrix structure it brings with it a number of tensions that need to be balanced in order for the whole to work effectively. These are:

• Strong multidisciplinary research requires an equally strong disciplinary foundation. Balanced support must therefore be sustained for both research breadth and depth.

• Such structures mandate the thematic priorities for research activity. However, they must allow for the emergence of exciting, novel and serendipitous research that might not fit neatly within an existing theme, but has the potential to become a new strategic theme.

AL ICEN N ICKSON is Deputy Director of Research Support and Development at Brunel University London. Alicen has worked in research management for 13 years in a range of roles at Brunel and,

previously, at the University of Oxford. Alicen is on the Membership Services Committee of ARMA, and champions research into 'research management'.

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MULT ID ISCI P L INAR I T Y: MAGICAL , MYTHICAL OR MAKING IT HAPPEN?When multidisciplinarity works well, it is an extremely effective means of meeting the challenges of research. But what are the best ways of making multidisciplinary research realise its potential? Alicen Nickson, Deputy Director of Research Support and Development at Brunel University London, elucidates…

No 39


Colleges are home to all academic staff, students, teaching programmes and disciplinary-based research. Institutes support research within cross-cutting multidisciplinary themes, and any academic doing research within these themes can apply to be a member of the relevant Institute. Both vertical and horizontal structures are equally represented at every University Committee with input into academic recruitment and annual research planning. Research income generated by an individual is internally reported against an individual’s College and Institute to recognise the relative contributions of both structures.

• Leading researchers tend to be visionary and entrepreneurial. However, multidisciplinary teams require effective collaboration between large teams of leading researchers. Active and creative coordination is therefore necessary to manage the dynamics to deliver collective, as well as individual, excellence.

• There are no simple answers to these challenges and balance is not easy to achieve. In any change programme, there can also be a gap between the original intent and the reality of implementation. While the vision for change may be clear at the outset, this can get lost in the day-to-day administrative detail needed to make change happen. The consequent pull towards past behaviours and comfort zones can be strong, and can derail the potential of new structures to change working practices and behaviours. Initiatives to ‘make it happen’ therefore need to be continual and permeate organisational structures.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON As our new structures embed, numerous benefits are emerging. These include: creative research community building

and ideas generation initiatives, research hustings, enhanced peer support and review systems, new interdisciplinary projects, events, and communications that celebrate success and showcase new multidisciplinary research.

Recent successes include European funding of €8.5 million to develop user-friendly water monitoring strategies and systems, and eco-innovative and energy-efficient solutions to renovate existing waste water treatment plans – achieved by applying low-carbon techniques to recover materials that are otherwise lost in the process. These

successes have been a direct result of the University’s reorganisation.

Thus, although multidisciplinarity might be a reality of the research world, the idea that it can be easily achieved and sustained is a myth – there is no magical solution. That leaves us with the idea of ‘making it happen’ and, in that regard, our journey continues.

College of Engineering,

Design & Physical Sciences

Institute of Materials and Manufacturing

Institute of Energy Futures

Institute of Environment, Health & Societies

College of Business, Arts & Social Science

College of Health & Life Sciences

No 40


TAK ING CONTROL OF THE FUTURE

No 41


There was a time when futurology was the future. A former colleague

of mine did very well out of it (judging by the car he drove and the house he lived in). He commanded vast consultancy rates and was constantly in demand.

Then the financial crash of 2008 came and suddenly the bottom fell out of the market. No one was interested in futurology any more. It was fine when the future was easy to predict – and when the future was bright – but, paradoxically, nobody wanted to know, just when they needed to be able to peer into the future more than ever.

If the future was unpredictable in 2008, recent events have confounded even the hardiest of forecasters. Who can honestly say they saw Brexit coming? Who predicted that Corbyn and Trump would come to prominence? One only has to look at Leicester City FC being crowned champions of the Premier League to realise that the only certainty is that there is no certainty.

PROACTIVITY OVER REACTIVITY We did our best at ARMA 2016 in Birmingham to consider the implications of Brexit (not helped – it should be noted – by the rather unhelpful interpretation of purdah rules which made it difficult for us to engage with those most likely to have an informed view). But we were excoriated – quite rightly – by one participant in the ‘Current Issues in RMA’ session for our failure to plan for the prospect of Brexit seriously enough.

If there is any certainty left in this world, it is that we need to keep our wits about us, keep looking for opportunities in the ever-changing present, and keep planning for the future. This does not happen by accident, but by design. We want to limit the extent to which we are passive observers along the way and take control (insofar as we can). We need to be proactive, not reactive. In short, we need to be professional – professional in developing the knowledge and skills that will equip us for the unknown; and professional in our behaviours that will enable us to collaborate with others in research offices, outside offices and outside the university.

This does not happen through aimless attempts to apply whatever gifts we were born with. It happens by honing our skills, practising them and learning from others.

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY ARMA has gone a long way to developing the competencies of the RMA profession in the UK and beyond. We have established the Professional Development Framework and the professional qualifications. More and more of us are joining with our colleagues through ARMA to take advantage of these structured development opportunities, and for the benefits of informal contacts with each other. We have gone a long way, but if the continuous changes taking place tell us anything at all, it is that we need to continually change too.

That is why ARMA’s new Chair, Steph Bales, set out the Association’s vision for

change at the ARMA conference. It's also why INORMS 2018 – the international congress of all ARMA’s sister associations – is taking place in Edinburgh in June 2018. Hosted by ARMA, it is going to be so very important in the next phase of our development. Provisionally entitled ‘Pathways to professional recognition’, the Congress will mark a high point in working collaboratively with our partners to establish the next phases of the development of our profession. Mark the date in your diary and plan to be with us if you can. We will be announcing more about it nearer the time.

So what, in the end, did the future hold for my futurologist friend? He now focuses his consultancy on the analysis of socio-economic trends. If there was ever an allegory warning us not to go the same way, this is surely it.

DAVID COOMBE is the Director of the Research Division at the London School of Economics. Prior to that he was Director of Research Services at Kent, Head of Administration at the Kent Business School,

and held various posts at the University of Kent and Swansea University. He is driven by delivering great service and is committed to professional development.

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David Coombe is the Director of the Research Division at the London School of Economics. Here, he discusses the challenges an unpredictable future presents, and the importance of the INORMS 2018 conference

– taking place in Edinburgh in June 2018 – in overcoming them

No 42


SARAH PUDDICOMBE is Assistant Director of Applications and Funding at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) hosted within the Wessex

Institute, University of Southampton. NETSCC manages five NIHR evaluation research programmes and the NIHR Journals Library. Wessex Institute is also host to James Lind Alliance (JLA) priority setting partnerships, INVOLVE and the NIHR Dissemination Centre. You can contact Sarah at: [email protected].

profi leWHICH NIHR PROGR A M ME?

The National Institute for Health Research funds academics, clinicians and practitioners, enabling them to perform research that improves the health and wealth of the nation. Sarah Puddicombe shares NIHR funding, research support and dissemination services that you should keep your eye on

Potential applicants should contact our NIHR programmes for advice on the remit and eligibility criteria for our funding calls

HEALTH SERVICE AND DEL IVERY RESEARCH Funds research that provides evidence on the quality, costs, accessibility and organisation of health services, including delivery of services and patient experience. It encourages ambitious evaluative research to improve health services, including large-scale studies of national importance.

HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT Funds pragmatic studies that inform decision makers and patients about the clinical and cost effectiveness of healthcare treatments and tests in the NHS when compared to the best alternatives.

INVENTION FOR INNOVATION Funds translational R&D of innovative medical devices, healthcare technologies and interventions in areas of clinical need to aid adoption in the NHS for increased patient benefit. PROGRAMME GRANTS FOR

APPLIED RESEARCH Funds interrelated programmes that can offer the NHS practical applications that can benefit patients suffering from priority health issues within three to five years.

RESEARCH FOR PATIENT BENEFIT Regionally funded, Research for Patient Benefit supports NHS research arising from daily practice and leading to patient benefit in England.

EFF ICACY MECHANISMS AND EVALUATIONS A Medical Research Council (MRC) and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) partnership funding ambitious studies on the clinical efficacy, safety and mechanisms of disease, or novel interventions, prototypes or tests that aim to improve health or patient care.

step 1: c hoose a fun di ng opportun ity

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PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH Funds multidisciplinary evaluations that inform delivery of non-NHS interventions to promote the health of the public and reduce health inequalities through a wide range of population-level interventions. Studies need to provide evidence of health-related outcomes to inform decision makers at all levels.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS Provides infrastructure help and funding schemes to support delivery of Cochrane systematic reviews and Technology Assessment Reviews for policy customers.

NIHR RESEARCH TRAINING AWARDS Open to a variety of levels and career pathways, these awards are available to support research and training with a clear potential benefit to patients.

NIHR DISSEMINATION CENTRE The Centre provides clear, relevant and useful information about the latest research for people working in health and social care, including patients: https://discover.dc.nihr.ac.uk/ portal/home

NIHR JOURNALS L IBRARY A fully peer-reviewed, open access publication of commissioned research studies, NIHR Journals Library provides a full account of research and its findings, whether positive or negative: www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk

step 3: publish an d dissemi nate

CLINICAL TRIALS UNITS CTUs provide expert statistical, epidemiological and methodological advice to help researchers design and undertake successful clinical trials. NIHR provides over 25 CTUs to deliver research applications and projects: www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/resources/nihr-ctu

NIHR CL INICAL RESEARCH NETWORK The network provides infrastructure and staff to help research delivery, including a study support service: www.crn.nihr.ac.uk

JAMES L IND ALL IANCE JLA Priority Setting Partnerships bring patients, carers, clinicians and medical research charities together to identify and prioritise treatment uncertainties they agree are the most important for research: www.jla.nihr.ac.uk

INVOLVE Our national advisory group, INVOLVE, supports active public involvement in the NHS, public health and social care research: www.involve.nihr.ac.uk

RESEARCH DESIGN SERVICE RDS provides free design and methodological assistance to health and social care researchers across England to develop grant applications to the NIHR and other open, national, peer-reviewed funding programmes: www.rds.nihr.ac.uk

step 2: uti lise researc h support

Find out more about NIHR programmes, funding opportunities and the range of research support available at: www.nihr.ac.uk/funding

A wide range of support is available to help the development of research applications and to support the delivery of funded research projects

A CADEMIC careers are becoming more and more diverse – especially

for those in the early career stages. With a larger competitive landscape, the early career stage of the academic pathway is extending, and we see increasing numbers with portfolio or entrepreneurial careers. As a result, there are academics actively seeking small-scale assignments in the government, public and third sectors to apply their expertise beyond academia. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?A diverse pathway can help academics extend their networks, keep abreast of the latest developments in their field and identify potential new funding sources. Work like this can provide visibility to academics and their research, and can contribute to the pathway to impact that they otherwise might not get.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES IN THIS TYPE OF WORK? Some academics struggle with establishing relationships on the basis of being paid for their expertise, rather than funded for their research and, of course, if they are contracted, they have to seek the right permissions from their home organisation to undertake independent work. Operating

in their own capacity, they will also have to ensure they have the right contracts, fees and indemnities in place, and this can be a daunting prospect to some.

IS THERE AN APPETITE IN THE GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTORS TO ACCESS INDIVIDUAL EXPERTS? We found that these sectors increasingly require agile inputs into their decision making. Policy makers in particular wish to access a wider pool of expertise for smaller inputs alongside the other elements of their evidence-based policy making. This can mean a few hours to a few days of activity, sometimes accessing that expertise via a phone call and sometimes more formally.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO THE GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR FACE? These sectors tell us that they find it difficult to locate the right expertise at the time they need it. They told us that universities are opaque from the outside and that they don’t want to have to trawl through multiple individual universities to find someone for this type of small-scale work. So they fall back on known networks and individuals. As a result, many academics are missing out on these smaller rewarding opportunities.

SO, HOW IS THIS SOLVED? Piirus.ac.uk and jobs.ac.uk have developed a new service called PiirusMatch that matches expertise to clients in the public and government sectors to fulfil small-scale assignments.

HOW CAN WE DO THIS? We bring together the talent pool from the huge audience that engages with both jobs.ac.uk and piirus.ac.uk to progress their careers, together with a team that undertakes the matching and shortlisting process for clients. Very simply, we take away the legwork for academics and those seeking to access their expertise, bringing both parties together.

HOW CAN YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS FOR YOUR RESEARCHERS?1. Encourage your researchers to become

a Piirus Associate so that they can be part of the talent pool. It’s free.

2. Contact us to speak about how we can work with you to bring these opportunities to your researchers.

Consultants provide expert advice and analysis to external clients to address specific problems using a high degree of

intellectual input. Founder of piirus.ac.uk, Fiona Colligan, discusses the possibilities presented by academic consultancy and

asks: "Are your researchers missing out on an opportunity by not using their expertise to its full potential?"

A R E Y O U R R E S E A R C H E R S M A K I N G T H E M O S T O F T H E I R E X P E R T I S E ?


No 44

Academic consu l tancy 101

£8.1b £1.5b £352m >4%

UK consultancy

sector income

Central government

spend on management

consultants (2009)

University

consultancy income

University income

from the overall

consultancy market

Therefore

WHAT IS THE S IZE OF THE CONSULTANCY MARKET?

WHAT CONSULTANCY ACTIVIT IES ARE ACADEMICS DOING?

70%

of academics believe

their research is relevant

for non-commercial

external organisations

53%

of academics interact with

the public sector

44%


the not-for-profit sector

41%


the private sector

40%

of academics at Russell

Group institutions have

engaged in consultancy

13%

of Russell Group academics

have formed or run a

consultancy company

based on their research


No 45

WHAT INPUTS DO PUBLIC , PRIVATE AND THIRD SECTORS SEEK FROM CONSULTANTS? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CONSULTANCY WORK?

• Critical review

• Peer review

• Expert witness services

• Due diligence

Build networks and contacts

Inform teaching and

research activities

Open up new sources of

research funding

Create opportunities for

research impact

• Project management

• Strategic planning

• Problem solving

• Report writing

• Panel representation

• Board representation

• Public speaking appearances

• Policy input

• Technical & professional advice

• Expert advice/specialist opinion

• Methodological advice

• Testing, analysis

and measurement

F IONA COLL IGAN has over 20 years’ experience in the public sector and higher education sector. Fiona specialises in information management, knowledge management and online service development. As founder of piirus.ac.uk, she is helping to bring together researchers working across career, disciplinary and international boundaries.

Academics can join

piirus.ac.uk today

and opt-in to become

an associate on

PiirusMatch, a free

service from Piirus

to connect them to

opportunities for

small assignments and

projects in the third

and public sector

Statistics sourced from: Management

Consultants Association Industry

Report 2010, ACCA Global,

HEBCIS 2009-10, Russell Group,

UK Innovation Research Centre,

Sums Consulting – White Paper on

Academic Consulting

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No 47


Q U E S T I O N S O N L E A D E R S H I P

No 48


POUR yourself a coffee. The task I am about to set you will take about 15

minutes. Are you sitting comfortably? Good. I’d like to tell you a story.

Once upon a time, I was sitting in a meeting with a management team from a large, publically funded educational organisation. I was handed a mountain of data to analyse and, in my role as a consultant, asked to prepare a report on the organisation’s strategic effectiveness. Before I started, I thought it prudent to ask the team a question in order to inform my analysis.

The question I asked was: “What is this organisation for?”

There was a pause. A very long pause.

Finally, the senior manager in the group exhaled. “Wow…” he said. “We’ve never been asked that before...”.

This incident spoke volumes to me about the real essence of leadership. The team in question was highly trained and comprised very busy managers, but the underlying purpose or direction of their efforts was, at best, only vaguely understood. In short, where was the leadership?

LOOK INTO THE FUTURESo today, rather than have you read a conventional article about inspirational leaders, I’d like to try something a little different, and simply ask you to think about three topics.

OK. Now, please stop reading this article, put down this excellent publication, and go and find three pieces of A4 paper and a pencil. I’m certain you’ll be back in a moment.

Right, now you’re back with stationery, take the first piece of paper and give yourself just five minutes to jot down some thoughts on the following questions:

1. Professionally, what will the world be like in seven years, and how will this affect core activity in your area?

2. What will research be like and how will a research institution have changed?

3. What priority areas will it focus on?

4. How might funding, technology, politics, the economy or the intellectual landscape change? What will that mean to your core area of operation?

Go on. Do it now. Just five minutes.

Have you done it? Welcome back. Interesting, eh?

By the way, if you didn’t do it, I understand. You’re busy. We all are. Maybe you don’t have time for this sort of speculative nonsense. It’s just a thought – but as we move up into positions of responsibility, it is precisely this sort of activity that we are being paid for. Not the day-to-day busywork, but actual thought about the possible contexts in which our organisations may be working within our professional lifetimes.

Ultimately, as leaders, we shape the future of our organisations, but we can’t do this if we are ignorant of how the world might be changing. In short, on a day-to-day basis, are you making the time to lift your head up and look around you?

Papers and pencils at the ready! Dr Steve Hutchinson, leader of the ARMA Leading Research Management and Administration residential programme, is about to ask you incredibly important questions about leadership

No 49


CREATE A SHARED VISIONNow, get the second piece of paper. On it I’d like you to take another five minutes and write down your purpose. Not the corporate vision of your organisation, but what you are going to do with your time as a professional. What difference do you want to make to your organisation? How could things be improved? What legacy will you leave when you move on?

Go on.

Once you’ve thought about the context in which you work, you then need to actually think about the direction in which you will take your organisation. Discerning the path to take, and then influencing those around us to follow our lead is the core essence of leadership. This is called vision.

The effective leaders that I meet can always tell you why they are doing things. And what’s more, they skilfully communicate this higher purpose with the people around them. Asking people to act without helping them to understand why is a surefire killer of motivation.

Yes, people in the world of research are creative, can act independently and are often resistant to being managed. But leading by inspiring others to take hold of a clear and explicit shared vision creates an enormously powerful force.

ASK YOURSELF: WHAT’S RIGHT?Right, now, for our last act. Let’s pick up the third piece of paper and jot down some thoughts on a final set of questions:

1. How do you decide what is the right thing to do?

2. How do you know the right areas to focus on?

3. What sort of research or professional activity adds the right sort of value?

4. What is the right balance of resource allocation?

5. In turbulent professional times, what is the right path to take?

As managers, we are highly skilled – and perhaps extensively trained – to do things correctly. But this training does not necessarily teach us what are the right things to be doing – and as we move into leadership positions, no one tells us. Instead, we make these decisions through our cultural, professional and personal values.

Being in touch with our values (and ensuring that these are a good fit with our organisation) means that we always have a guiding star. Maybe our future predictions are wrong, and maybe our vision withers

and dies, but we should always be able to look in the mirror each night and know that we have done the right thing.

OK, pencils down. Examination over.

Contextual and future attention, and a clarity of purpose and vision based on a coherent set of values. I believe that is all the essence of leadership is.

So, how do you actually ‘do’ it?

Well, that will have to be another story for another time.

DR STEVE HUTCHINSON works internationally as an independent consultant, author and coach (www.hutchinsontraining.com). He leads the ARMA Leading Research Management and Administration residential programme.

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No 50


In July 2015, the Wilsdon report into research metrics was released. At the

University of Birmingham, we were in the midst of a REF open access campaign, continuing our work to embed our research information management system (Pure) into institutional processes and thinking about how to increase our research data management provisions without breaking the bank. Despite all of this, the report actually came at a good time. We were exploring the possibility of purchasing a research analytics tool, such as SciVal or Incites, and the Planning Office (where I am based) was redesigning the institutional KPT process, including the data source for the publications-based indicators.

In setting up the initial experts group, we wanted to explore the report with

some academic and professional services staff to understand the impact of the recommendations and gauge the level of change it might involve. We knew that not only were metrics being used in various ways within departments, but their preferences for data sources differed as well.

The group has worked collectively to bring together a range of activities from different teams, ensuring a coordinated and harmonised approach, as well as sharing knowledge and expertise. Staff in Planning, the Library, academic departments, HR, Graduate School and Research Support have come together to input into different aspects of this work.

UNDERSTANDING SUCCESS Our approach has been to consider how the recommendations could be integrated into work already taking place, and make the responsible use of metrics an explicit consideration in initiatives, such as the Research Analytics System tender. Our communications to encourage uptake of ORCIDs by staff – and the consideration of whether to sign up to DORA – were both directly influenced by the Responsible Metrics report.

The work is definitely not over and we have a lot more to achieve over the coming months, but these first 12 months have taught us a great deal about how to approach a piece of work like this, and what success can look like.

HOW WE’RE R ID ING THE WAVE

Staff based in various departments across the University of Birmingham have been analysing the potential ramifications of the Wilsdon report. Karen Clews, Pure Manager, describes their approach and how best to implement research metrics

12 MONTHS

ON FROM THE

METR IC T IDE

No 51


K AREN CLEWS is the Pure Manager based in the University of Birmingham Planning Office. As well as being responsible for the institution’s research information system, her remit extends to

the support and coordination of activities around research information, including open access and open data programmes, Researchfish and the research metrics working group.

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F IVE STEPS TO IMPLEMENTATION

Step one: Think about what it means to your institution

Everyone is starting from a different place; the key is to know what you’re already doing and where your weak points might be so you can set your goals accordingly. For us, we knew research metrics were being used widely, but inconsistently, across the institution. One of the aims of this work was to think explicitly about how and why we wanted to use research metrics in the institution and how we could share this understanding.

Step two: Get academics involved early

We were keen to ensure this work was not just a Professional Services project, so took a collaborative approach that brought in expertise from across the institution. Our working group was chaired by the Director of Research for the College of Social Sciences and involved academic staff from a range of disciplines used to working with research metrics. The benefit of this approach came early on when we realised not everyone feels the same way about the H-index or the Journal Impact Factor. The range of views expressed in the group helped us form a much more nuanced message to academic staff about the benefits and pitfalls of using metrics in certain ways.

Step three: Lead by example

A key message of the report was the need for transparency around the use of metrics, and this applies to the use of indicators at all levels. For us,

this has meant thinking about how we articulate our key performance indicators to staff, and specifically, which metrics are being used. With the institutional subscription to a research analytics tool we have been able to democratise the use of metrics, allowing anyone to access these data themselves so they can understand what is being measured and how it relates to them.

Step four: Celebrate, don’t denigrate

We didn't want the group to become the ‘metrics police’, seeking out and admonishing anyone who was not using strict centrally prescribed methods. Instead, our approach has been to identify good practice and use this to build a dialogue. Case studies on how metrics have been used to support REF preparation processes or understand publishing patterns are being developed to help staff understand the benefits of using a range of responsible approaches to using research metrics.

Step five: Know what success looks like

Behaviour isn't going to change overnight – new metrics are always popping up, and ideas around how to use metrics are evolving all the time. For us, success was about igniting debate. Amongst the day to day worries about Pure, developing Impact, REF, open access, funding, the EU and more, we have started to get people thinking about the impact using metrics in a certain way can have and, importantly, start to influence their working practices.

Karen Clews (Planning Office) and Judith Hegenbarth (Library Services) presented at ARMA’s 2016 Annual Conference on how the University of Birmingham Planning Office and Library are working together on the Metric Tide project. Both are happy to be contacted to share experiences and talk to others who are working on similar initiatives.

You can email them at [email protected] and [email protected]

G E T I N T O U C H N O W

No 52


R A A AP: RESEARCH ADM IN ISTR AT ION AS A PROFESS ION

No 53


Simon Kerridge and Stephanie Scott are leading a project that seeks to uncover what makes a successful research administration leader. The findings will enable the appointment of the most promising candidates and help junior staff accelerate their career progression

R esearch Management and Administration is a profession

that is often difficult to explain to people outside the sector – and often those in the sector! What we do is support the research endeavours of our respective institutions, but it is a multi-faceted area, one that includes research development, researcher development, funding, contracts, finance, policy, ethics, students, systems…the list goes on.

Many of these aspects require specialist skills to get a foot on the ladder of the profession, but what do you need to move up in the profession to become a research administration leader? Are more technical skills required? Or, as Judy Fredenberg – Director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at the University of Montana and former president of NCURA, the US-based National Council of University Research Administrators – suggests, do the ‘softer’ people skills become more important?

This debate led to the authors submitting a proposal to the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) Research Program for a project to explore this assertion. From this, the Research Administration As A Profession (RAAAP) project was born.

ACQUIRING INSIGHTFUL ANSWERS We are leading the project, with help from an international steering group featuring Patrice Ajai-Ajagbe from ACU, Jan Andersen and Susi Poli from EARMA, Janice Besch from ARMS, Cindy Kiel from SRA-I, and Deborah Zornes from CARA.

We have developed a questionnaire to ask research managers and administrators about the skills, attitudes and behaviours of successful research administration leaders.

THE QUEST IONNAIRE THE RA A AP PROJECT DEVELOPED HAS BEEN SENT TO MEMBERS OF 12 ASSOCIAT IONS AROUND THE WORLD. THESE ARE :

ACU (the association of commonwealth universities)

ARMS (the Australasian Research Management Society)

BRAMA (the Brazilian Research Administration and Management Association)

CARA (the Canadian Association of Research Administrators)

EARMA (the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators)

NCURA (the US-based National Council of University Research Administrators)

NORDP (the US-based National Organisation of Research Development Professionals)

RMAN-J (the Japanese Research Management association)

SARIMA (the Southern African Research and Innovation Managers Association)

SRA-I (the US-based Society of Research Administrators International)

WARIMA (the Western African Research and Innovation Managers Association)

and – of course – ARMA!

No 54


SIMON KERRIDGE is Director of Research Services at the University of Kent. He has been a research manager and administrator for over 20 years, and has held

various AMRA Board positions as a board member of the Consortia Advancing Standards in Research Administration Information (CASRAI). He has also served on a number of national committees, project boards and working groups.

STEPHANIE SCOT T is Director of Communications and Outreach at Columbia University. She has been a research administrator for over 15 years at various institutions

in New York, is an NCURA and SRA-I member, and chairs a working group in the Federal Demonstration Partnership.

"What do you need to move up in the profession to become a research administration leader?"

As well as identifying the most sought-after skills, it also asks how staff came into the profession, and should give a snapshot of the shape of our profession worldwide.

Overall, the questionnaire has been sent to over 21,000 research management and administration professionals around the world and, at the time of writing, we have well over 2,000 responses – more than 400 of which are from ARMA members. It will take us a while to analyse these responses and determine what we can conclude with statistical significance. There will also be some qualitative analysis of the free text responses which are also likely to prove insightful.

CHARTING THE PROJECT’S PROGRESSWe hope to report back in the next issue of The Protagonist with the summary analysis and we will, of course, make our full report freely available online. The anonymous dataset will also be made available, should anyone be interested in using it for their own research. If you can’t wait for the next issue, you can always catch up on progress by browsing the project website at:

www.raaapworldwide.wordpress.com

In the meantime, if you have any comments, queries or suggestions then please do contact us.

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No 55


No 56


IT'S something we have all experienced when using online services. That

feeling of frustration caused by the fact that the system is too clunky, the screen is too cluttered, we are being asked too many questions, or we have had to enter information numerous times. I’m sure that people have felt that way when applying to the Research Councils for a grant and that’s something we want to tackle.

Research Councils are in the midst of a major project to redesign our grants service. Not only is this a great opportunity to replace our outdated technology, we are also looking at the way we do grant funding across Research Councils, and asking ourselves what we could do better. Where can we make things simpler? Are there ways to make our policies and processes more streamlined? We want to improve the service for applicants and other users, both internal and external.

GOODBYE JE-SOur current grants system – the joint electronic submission service (Je-S) – is reaching the end of its useful life and we know that researchers love and hate it in equal measure. Although it was ahead of its time when introduced, it is now like a well-worn and well-loved pair of slippers –

familiar, but needs replacing. We know that it will be a wrench for some when our new service comes online.

The good news is that the new service will enable us to deliver some really important improvements for the community, such as greater interoperability with research organisations’ systems. Within the Higher Education sector there are many systems and data that, at the moment, do not communicate with each other. This means that information cannot flow through these different systems, and users have to enter the same information multiple times.

The new grants service will push us further forward by helping us achieve a more connected infrastructure and cut inefficiencies for everyone using the service. In the future, we want to be able to reuse information that already exists in other systems to reduce the amount of time applicants spend completing a grant application. We also want to have simpler guidance and only ask for information we actually need.

THE NEW GRANTS SERVICE INTERFACEThe new grants service is being developed with user needs at the forefront of everyone’s mind. To give you some insight

Sarah Townsend, Senior Research Funding Analyst at Research Councils UK, shares insights into the new grants service that the RCUK is building to replace the joint electronic submission service. She talks about the benefits the new system will offer, including greater interoperability with research organisations’ systems

B U I L D I N G A N E W G R A N T S S E R V I C E

No 57


into how this works, the user research team has been finding out what users like you want the grants service to do. They have spoken to applicants, peer reviewers, panel members, research organisation administrators and Research Council staff. They then tell the service designers what they discovered. The service designers are bringing these users’ needs to life throughout the user journey.

Moreover, whilst the grants service will be hosted on the ac.uk domain, the screens are based on the gov.uk platform. Therefore, the new grants service will look and feel a lot like this platform. If you have taxed your vehicle, or shared your driving licence information in the last few years, chances are you will have already used a gov.uk service and, like applying to tax your vehicle, we expect the new grants service to be very intuitive to use.

Also, we have great news for applicants applying to Research Councils and Innovate UK: we are developing a single, unified grants service! This means you have a very similar experience when applying to both organisations.

SO WHERE ARE WE NOW?A panel of government digital service assessors recently reviewed the project and have given us a pass on the alpha stage. But what does that mean? During the alpha stage of the project, the team built prototypes to meet some key user needs and iterated those through user feedback. They also scoped what the end-to-end service would look like.

So, what’s next? Having passed this assessment the team can now progress into the beta stage. In this stage the team will extend those early prototypes into a full end-to-end prototype and test with users.

Initially, this will be a private beta, which means that access will be restricted rather than available to all. The aim is to run a small number of funding opportunities through the new service in 2017 and to have transitioned fully in 2018. Throughout the development we will continue to test with users. The work is done in very small chunks with continual iterations based on the feedback received.

If you want to know more you can sign up to our mailing list http://eepurl.com/bXNziH and check out the information available on the RCUK website www.rcuk.ac.uk/funding/2017update.

D I G I TA L S E RV I C E S TA N D A R D C R I T E R I ASimilar to a gateway review, our new online grants service went through an alpha assessment. It looks at 18 criteria that form the digital service standard. The reviewers felt confident the programme is on the right track to meet the required standards at this stage of development. The assessors commented that a broad range of users have been identified through a range of channels, with a good level of user research performed.

Here is the list of the 18 criteria examined as part of that review:

1. Understand user needs

2. Do ongoing user research

3. Have a multidisciplinary team

4. Use agile methods

5. Iterate and improve frequently

6. Evaluate tools and systems

7. Understand security and privacy issues

8. Make all new source code open

9. Use open standards and common platforms

10. Test the end-to-end service

11. Make a plan for being offline

12. Create a service that's simple

13. Make the user experience consistent with GOV.UK

14. Encourage everyone to use the digital service

15. Collect performance data

16. Identify performance indicators

17. Report performance data on the Performance Platform

18. Test with the minister

SARAH TOWNSEND is Senior Research Funding Analyst at Research Councils UK. She has responsibility for gathering and analysing business requirements to develop cross-Council policy in relation to grants delivery, processes and systems. This has involved working closely with the team designing the new grants service to provide a link between the programme and the wider Research Councils, and taking responsibility for stakeholder engagement and communications with Research Councils external stakeholders.

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No 58


11 JANUARY – WOBURN HOUSE , LONDON Practical Facilitation Skills for Developing Collaborative Proposals

This course is designed to help research managers and administrators develop skills to solicit and induce more creative ideas and networks, which will result in more innovative proposals.

25 JANUARY – WOBURN HOUSE , LONDON Research Contracts

This is a one-day introduction to research contracts specifically aimed at research managers and administrators in universities who need to understand research contracts as part of their role.

1 FEBRUARY – THE NOVOTEL , LEEDS Financial Planning and Reporting

As Research Council funding becomes more competitive, organisations are continuing to diversify their research funding streams in order to develop a more balanced funding portfolio and to spread risk. This requires research managers to become more involved in planning and forecasting to ensure financial sustainability of the project portfolio over time.

2 FEBRUARY – THE PARK INN , YORK An Introduction to Research Data Management

This non-technical workshop is designed to offer guidance in areas affected by new research data management requirements and to explore existing tools and ideas in more detail from a multidisciplinary perspective.

16 FEBRUARY – THE PARK INN , YORK Research Project Management

This workshop is an introduction to the process of managing projects and the tools to assist in planning and tracking progress. It is intended to be immediately applicable to planning and managing academic and research project, as well as commercial projects. It covers the theory and principles of project management.

15 M ARCH – THE NOVOTEL , LEEDS Developing Horizon 2020 Collaborative Proposals – from idea to submission

Horizon 2020 is one of the few funding opportunities whose budget is guaranteed to rise over the next few years, and UK universities are understandably keen to take advantage of this. This workshop, which will be very practical and hands-on, aims to equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to help academics submit a successful Horizon 2020 collaborative bid – in particular those who are inexperienced in EU funding, or who are leading a bid for the first time.

22 M ARCH – THE PARK INN , YORK Working with Political Institutions and Public Officials

Many institutions regularly undertake research and consultancy work for local and central government departments and other agencies and public bodies. However, increasingly, they are also seeking to understand more about how these organisations work and how they can work with them to influence research agendas and funding opportunities as well as to raise their institutions’ profile. This can be through activities such as responding to open consultations, working with local enterprise partnerships, and providing expertise to support local and central government work.

WATCH OUT FOR OUR 2016-17 WEBINARS

• Using Social Media for Research Impact

• Using new Open Access Tools

• VAT

• Preparing your Data for Snowball Metrics

• EU Funding

• THE Rankings and how League Tables Work

• Prevent Duty Requirements

• Intellectual Property

• HR Issues

• Thomson Reuters (this is a sponsored session by Thomson Reuters)

• TRAC

• Funder Updates in Audit Terms and Conditions

• Philanthropic Giving

• Elsevier (this is a sponsored session by Elsevier)

Webinar booking pages will open throughout the 2016-17 programme and members will be notified via our mailing list.

Visit www.arma.ac.uk/events to book your places today!

D AT E S F O R T H E D I A RY

Nobody can be certain what the results of the EU referendum will mean for the research landscape, but it is clear that many expect some impact. Here are some of the recent conversations regarding Brexit on ARMA’s Twitter account

No 59


I N T O U C H

Research Fortnight @ResFortnight 24 June 2016

Final #EURefResults:

Leave 52% Remain 48% Turnout: 72.16%

TimesHigherEducation @timeshighered 24 June 2016

Unis face uncertainties about research funding, student fees & hiring of staff after #Brexit http://bit.ly/291j0JT

CaSE @sciencecampaign 27 June 2016

Director @drsarahmain reflects on the result of the #EUreferendum and what the scientific community should do next http://bit.ly/2ahQl1o

Research Fortnight @ResFortnight 28 June 2016

Yesterday’s upfront: Still no word on science funding since the #EU ref http://rsrch.co/28Yo14e

Wonkhe @Wonkhe 28 June 2016

WIRE: Statement from BIS on higher education and research following the EU referendum http://bit.ly/2aOqxvY

You can follow us on Twitter @ARM A _UK FIND US ON YOUTUBE

ARMA now has a YouTube channel where you can keep up to date with trailers for our new online resources and ARMA activities. http://bit.ly/ARMAYouTube

No 60


I am delighted, if a little awed, to have been elected

Chair of the Association of Research Managers and Administrators. My vision for the Association is a simple

one – to ensure that members remain at the heart of ARMA – that everything we do and everything we stand for has a clear and direct member benefit.

Achieving that will mean increasing our engagement with you, our members. As an organisation with a buoyant membership, we are in a strong position; we offer excellent professional development and high conference attendance. Our strategic plan takes us through to 2018, based on individual, professional and international excellence, and communities of practice and sustainability.

We have a three-year budget forecast to support the delivery of that plan, and next year, as the implications of the EU referendum, HE White Paper and Stern Review become clear, we will develop a new strategy for the post-2018 policy environment.

OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLESHowever, there are challenges arising from the current policy context that we must address, and improvements we must make to ensure our membership offer remains fit for purpose and value for money. These are:

• Ensuring our professional development offer responds to the changing policy environment and funding landscape

• Consulting with our members on the benefits of applying for chartered status to enhance the status of our profession

As the research management and administration landscape is ever-changing, ARMA must continue to grow and evolve to meet the needs and expectations of its members. Stephanie Bales, the new Chair, sets out her vision for the next phase of the Association’s development

• Working with PraxisUnico and AURIL to identify opportunities for professional convergence and shared agendas that reflect the closer integration of research, knowledge exchange and commercialisation being driven by the impact agenda, creation of the overarching funding body UK Research and Innovation, and the need for institutions to diversify their funding streams

I would also like to improve the diversity of our committees and Board because we know it brings a broader range of perspectives, improves governance and leads to more successful organisations.

THE STRENGTH OF COLLEGIAL ITY AND MAKING VIS IONS HAPPENSo, in summary, my vision is this: keeping member benefit at the heart of who we are and what we do, and keeping these six words at the core of all activities:

– Members– Engagement– Flexibility– Integration– Excellence– Diversity

I would love to hear your feedback and ideas for our future strategy on any of these points, so please get in touch.

The strength of ARMA lies in the collegiality of our membership – a network of highly skilled, experienced professionals willing to share their time and expertise to develop the next generation and promote excellence in the sector.

I hope I serve you well.

T H E F I N A L N O T E

STEPHANIE BALES is Chair at ARMA. She joined the research office at Northumbria University in 2004 as Research Development Manager before becoming the Assistant Director for Research in 2009 and Director of Research and Business Services in 2012. Her role as Director includes responsibility for research, business engagement, and staff and student enterprise.

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Not a member yet? Simply visitwww.arma.ac.uk/membership to join the community

MAKING RESEARCH RESONATE

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SENSE OF SUPPORTBREXIT ARMA examines the UK's

decision to leave the EU

and asks what it will

mean for the research and

sciences sectors

MISS BIRMINGHAM? Check out highlights from our

annual conference, including a

rundown of the ARMA Award

winners and a photo collage

THE ESSENCE OF LEADERSHIP Do you know the values

and vision of your

organisation?

ISSUE 4 Autumn 2016

THE ROAD TO IMPROVEMENTTURNING HIGHER EDUCATION CHANGES INTO RMA OPPORTUNIT IES

The

PR

OTA

GO

NIS

T A

proponent for or advocate of the profession ISSN

2397-1665Issue 4 A

utumn 2016

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