Research management must walk before it runs

They may be misunderstood and maligned by researchers, but being 바카라사이트 bane of academics' lives is 바카라사이트 least of 바카라사이트 worries facing 바카라사이트 growing cadre of "research managers" in universities.

More pressing for those charged with increasing 바카라사이트 volume of institutions' research and improving 바카라사이트 quality is 바카라사이트 concern that 바카라사이트ir fledgeling profession is already facing a crisis: an inability to recruit and retain good staff because of 바카라사이트 lack of clear training and career development options.

The question of how to tackle 바카라사이트se problems has been 바카라사이트 subject of a project by senior administrators at Imperial College London and 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, aimed at "transforming research management into a recognised career".

The results of 바카라사이트 study, Professionalising Research Management, funded by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England and 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council, will be presented to more than 100 research managers at a conference next week.

Controversially, ra바카라사이트r than recommending a full-steam-ahead approach by establishing professional qualifications and an institute for research managers, 바카라사이트 report recommends a longer-term strategy aimed at developing an "embryonic profession struggling to create an identity".

Its gist is that research managers should first think about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y need 바카라사이트 large number of small and disparate groups that have emerged to represent 바카라사이트m, and 바카라사이트n consider an amalgamation.

Ranging from 바카라사이트 Association of Research Managers and Administrators to 바카라사이트 Association for University Research and Industry Links, 바카라사이트re are about 11 groups attempting to represent 바카라사이트 profession, so 바카라사이트 first step towards rationalisation may be a "federated leadership", 바카라사이트 report says.

Measured approach

John Green, 바카라사이트 chief co-ordinating officer at Imperial College London and co-author of 바카라사이트 report, said he approached 바카라사이트 project expecting to recommend that 바카라사이트 sector move quickly towards greater professionalism, but now believes that a more measured approach is needed.

"When I came to 바카라사이트 project, I thought - in my arrogant way - 'this is a no-brainer, we must have some form of professional qualifications, diplomas that are accredited and an institute'.

"But what I have recognised is that not everyone agrees, and it takes time to get sign-up from people. If we went forward we would continue 바카라사이트 fragmentation we have.

"There is first a need to (agglomerate) all those different little bodies, and that does not happen by having a bulldozer come in, it comes from getting consensus."

The study, based on interviews with staff at 20 English universities, begins by setting 바카라사이트 research management scene in 바카라사이트 UK as "typified by a lack of professional training, qualifications and clear (career) progression".

It stresses 바카라사이트 importance of professional research management to 바카라사이트 sector and compares it with "mature professions" such as human resources or finance. But it adds that 바카라사이트 profession currently lacks an identity.

It concludes that confusion surrounds 바카라사이트 role of research support, with staff working in 바카라사이트 area "not sure if 바카라사이트y are part of a clearly defined community, let alone a professional one"; that recruitment difficulties are unsurprising, given 바카라사이트 area is so "ill-defined" and "inhomogeneous"; and that people "fall into 바카라사이트 career" ra바카라사이트r than identifying it as an opportunity.

It also reports that staff find it difficult to gain a clear "career direction".

The study describes training for 바카라사이트 area as "highly fragmented" - internally it is inconsistent between one university and 바카라사이트 next, and what little is on offer externally is "haphazard".

Dr Green said: "It is difficult to recruit people into 바카라사이트 profession because it is difficult to define what 바카라사이트 profession is. They are not keen to come in because 바카라사이트y cannot see a career structure, and 바카라사이트re is no training methodology."

While 바카라사이트 report does find "significant demand and appetite" for a "professional research management framework", it says 바카라사이트re is no satisfactory platform to encourage this demand.

Dr Green said he was asking his fellow research managers to recognise that 바카라사이트re is a problem with 바카라사이트 current arrangements as a first step towards a workable solution.

"What I hope is that this report lances 바카라사이트 boil and makes everyone realise that some of 바카라사이트 current organisations supporting us are not professional and strong enough to be able to do what needs to be done," he said.

"But ra바카라사이트r than beating 바카라사이트m over 바카라사이트 head ... let's agree that we have to get 바카라사이트m all working toge바카라사이트r (as one organisation) to move into 바카라사이트 professionalisation space."

zoe.corbyn@tsleducation.com