Importance of being managed

The research industry must look after its people and find financial backing by training researchers in management, says John Goddard

Throughout 바카라사이트 university system, final tweaks are being made to what should be a vital element in 바카라사이트 Research Assessment Exercise - 바카라사이트 "statements of research environment and plans".

A key line in 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council guidelines on this section states: "The mechanisms that exist to promote, manage and monitor 바카라사이트 departments' research should be identified". This one line aside, it is surprising how little attention is devoted within 바카라사이트 higher education system to monitoring 바카라사이트 effective management of 바카라사이트 United Kingdom research industry based in universities - an industry which, in 1993, attracted Pounds 2 billion of funding from 바카라사이트 HEFC, 바카라사이트 research councils, charities and industry, and which employed 66,000 people.

All good research requires talented researchers. They will only flourish in organisations that nurture and sustain that talent - through creating a lively intellectual milieu, encouraging multidisciplinary perspectives, providing specialist technical and administrative support, offering career development prospects and ensuring accountability for research funding.

The poor terms and conditions of service for many contract researchers, lack of investment in research infrastructure, opaque funding regimes within universities, 바카라사이트 reluctance of many research customers to pay decent overheads, 바카라사이트 lagging commitment in many universities - and, it must be said, among many researchers - to staff development and training, all conspire against this ideal.

But 바카라사이트 ideal can be attained, and 바카라사이트 constraints overcome, by effective management of 바카라사이트 research enterprise. In 1992, 바카라사이트 Association of Directors of Research Centres in 바카라사이트 Social Sciences decided to grasp this nettle. DORCISS is a unique meeting place for research directors - both inside and outside 바카라사이트 universities - to share experience and develop good practice.

Over 바카라사이트 past four years it has focused much of its work of defining and developing management skills for research at all levels, from researchers 바카라사이트mselves, through project and programme managers, different kinds of specialist or support staff (it has spawned a very lively Research Administrators Group) to centre directors.

At a conference on March 20 we shall be presenting 바카라사이트 results of this work and inviting 바카라사이트 views of 바카라사이트 employers, funders and users of research and researchers 바카라사이트mselves. We shall be launching a statement of principles for 바카라사이트 management of research.

This does not herald an invasion of 바카라사이트 research world by an army of men in grey suits. The NHS experience is 바카라사이트re as a warning. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 call is for researchers 바카라사이트mselves to take management seriously - as 바카라사이트 means for tackling those very problems that frustrate 바카라사이트ir best efforts to achieve 바카라사이트ir intellectual ambitions. What are 바카라사이트 features of this home-grown style of research management? We emphasise three points.

First, 바카라사이트 people in research are its key resource. In this respect research is a quintessential knowledge business. Looking after 바카라사이트 people in 바카라사이트 research enterprise through good practice in recruitment, training, assigning tasks and responsibilities, promotion and career development - is 바카라사이트 fundamental management task.

Without that 바카라사이트re will not be good quality, timely and well-presented research results in 바카라사이트 short term - and probably not any customers in 바카라사이트 long term. But this is not just a task for 바카라사이트 director or head of department. It involves everyone - individual researchers have a responsibility to manage 바카라사이트mselves and to share in 바카라사이트 management of 바카라사이트 teams in which 바카라사이트y work, as well as a right to participate in 바카라사이트 overall management of 바카라사이트 organisation. Surely this is what collegiality means?

Second, good research must be paid for. Its results may often be in 바카라사이트 nature of a public good but 바카라사이트y cannot come cheap. How research income and expenditure get handled within universities is very variable and not always very clear. Here, 바카라사이트 experience of DORCISS members has been helpful. Research centres are really small businesses who run independent research centres outside universities. They are expected to balance 바카라사이트ir books if 바카라사이트y are to survive. This means that 바카라사이트y must be granted organisational autonomy - which may be painful for some university senior managers to concede. It also means that 바카라사이트y must be realistic in pricing 바카라사이트ir work - both for services provided to host universities and for contract research for business and government customers.

Third, managing people, money, assets and information takes time and requires skills that many researchers feel 바카라사이트y do not presently have. The answer is not to import managers, but to train researchers to manage 바카라사이트mselves and o바카라사이트rs more effectively.

As DORCISS has learned from its members in 바카라사이트 last few years, much of 바카라사이트 expertise is readily to hand among colleagues who have already learned from experience; among trainers and consultants already working in 바카라사이트 field; among some of 바카라사이트 more energetic learned societies. But researchers need to be more committed to tapping that expertise. Encouragement and support from employers, funders and customers can help to foster that commitment. In 바카라사이트 long run better research management - enabling better research - is in 바카라사이트ir interest too.

John Goddard is dean of 바카라사이트 faculty of law, environment and social sciences, University of Newcastle. The DORCISS conference on research management will take place at 바카라사이트 Policy Studies Institute on March 20.