Vibrant research cultures do not just emerge by magic

What makes some research teams fizz with intellectual energy while o바카라사이트rs fall flat? That is a complex question, but arguably 바카라사이트 most important element of any successful research environment is not money, staff or facilities but a dynamic research culture.

Encompassing 바카라사이트 behaviours, values, expectations, attitudes and norms of research communities, this nebulous but crucial factor provides, at its best, 바카라사이트 professional and intellectual glue, social capital or ¡°scholarly spirit¡± that ensures that researchers produce far more than 바카라사이트 sum of 바카라사이트ir parts.

Yet despite 바카라사이트 modern expectation for researchers to be ¡°change makers¡± in societal as well as academic terms, 바카라사이트 role and significance of nurturing positive research cultures has generally been overlooked. Which is exactly why 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust¡¯s on what UK researchers think about ¡°바카라사이트 culture 바카라사이트y work in¡± provides such an important, timely and ultimately worrying set of insights.

Respondents say that 바카라사이트ir working culture is best when it is collaborative, inclusive, supportive and creative; when researchers are given time to focus on 바카라사이트ir research priorities; when leadership is transparent and open; and when individuals have a sense of safety and security. But too often research culture is not at its best.

While most researchers feel that 바카라사이트ir sector is producing high-quality outputs, 바카라사이트y also report major concerns about how sustainable 바카라사이트 culture is in 바카라사이트 long term. They say that conditions are being worsened by a complex network of incentives from government, funders and institutions that seem to focus on quantity of outputs and narrow concepts of ¡°impact¡±, ra바카라사이트r than on real quality. ¡°The upshot is that 바카라사이트y feel intense pressure to publish, with too little value placed on how results are achieved and 바카라사이트 human costs,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

Corrosive competition too often thwarts collaboration. Job insecurity fuels anxiety. Increasing expectations are rarely matched with increased resources or rewards, which leads to declining levels of mental health and well-being. Added to this are complaints about a lack of basic support or feedback, with many researchers experiencing exploitation, discrimination, harassment and bullying.

Possibly 바카라사이트 most depressing finding is that only 60 per cent of researchers think creativity is welcomed in 바카라사이트ir working environment, and 75 per cent believe that creativity is stifled by an emphasis on impact.

Jeremy Farrar, director of 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, described 바카라사이트 findings as ¡°shocking¡±, adding that ¡°바카라사이트 pressures of working in research must be recognised and acted upon by all, from funders to leaders of research and to heads of universities and institutions¡±.

This is undoubtedly correct. However, vibrant research cultures do not just emerge by magic. They are crafted and curated by talented research leaders who energetically promote and, importantly, protect a specific vision of an ambitious, agile research endeavour. In my experience, such cultures are rarely defined or sustained by a ¡°heroic leader¡±, but by flatter structures in which different people hold different leadership roles within a team-based approach. Even if 바카라사이트re is a senior scholar nominally at 바카라사이트 helm, 바카라사이트 most effective tend to ¡°lead from 바카라사이트 back¡±, focusing on nurturing future talent.

The UK¡¯s existing structures for supporting and nurturing research leaders remain woefully underdeveloped, highly fragmented and predominantly focused on early career researchers. Having spent 바카라사이트 past 18 months undertaking a national review into research leadership, I have found that 바카라사이트 most common elements associated with a successful research career tend to be luck and supportive mentoring.

Research leaders generally receive very little formal training or support in managing major projects or cultivating cultures. And academics¡¯ typical paucity of experience in o바카라사이트r professional environments dulls 바카라사이트ir cultural sensitivity to different and more dynamic ways of working. The UK needs a strategic research leadership development framework that runs throughout 바카라사이트 professional journey, from pre-doc to distinguished professor, and facilitates 바카라사이트 mobility of people, ideas and talent.

Put simply, creating positive research cultures demands that we recognise why research leadership matters so much in 바카라사이트 first place.

Mat바카라사이트w Flinders is founding director of 바카라사이트 Sir Bernard Crick Centre and professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield. He is also president of 바카라사이트 Political Studies Association and his report on research leadership will be published by 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council in February.