Contemporary academic roles require university faculty to dedicate a significant proportion of their time to student learning and assessment. Simplifying your assessment strategy reduces the assessment burden for you and your students. Done correctly, it…
One of the most common problems that academic staff face is finding the time to write for publication. Academic institutions often have performance indicators written into their strategy statements that reflect the publishing ‘productivity’ of…
Dear Past Self, As an academic, you are constantly driven by the pursuit of knowledge, seeking to make meaningful contributions to your field through rigorous research. However, I know that the journey can often feel…
In the pursuit of academic excellence, research productivity and impact play a pivotal role. Academic managers, responsible for shaping and supporting research endeavours, sometimes encounter failures in their efforts. This article explores the lessons learned…
Creating a positive research culture in a teaching-intensive university in the UK requires a multifaceted approach that involves fostering collaboration, providing support, and recognising and rewarding research achievements. Here are some steps you can take…
University academic staff are constantly required to continually improve the quality of their research, while also soliciting income from external funding agencies. Surely it makes sense to focus on research activities so that your performance…
Reward and recognition can be effective strategies for motivating and engaging university research staff. Here are 5 ways managers can utilise these approaches: 1. Establish Clear Criteria For Recognition Develop clear and transparent criteria for…
Research growth is accelerated by acquiring external funding. Both research quality and volume increases as the additional income can fund specialist equipment and staffing to build greater research capability and capacity. However, not every academic…
Being able to communicate the impact of your research is an essential part of a UK research council funding proposals. Get this right and you will significantly increase your chances of success. 1. Identify The…
Research has the potential to make a significant impact on society in a wide range of areas. Thinking about how your research can make impact will help you write stronger funding proposals. There are scores…
Most funding councils have a remit to ensure that their money is spent on research that makes a difference; ideally: “A change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the…
Encouraging university lecturers to write funding bids can be challenging, particularly when they have a high teaching and administration workload. While writing funding proposals is an essential part of academic research, it can be difficult…
Teaching intensive environments are excellent places to develop research that can be directly applied to society. Businesses like to engage with practical academic staff who can deliver innovative, pragmatic solutions to industrial problems. Coaching academics…
Securing funding from external agencies such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is a critical step in the career progression of junior academics in the UK. The EPSRC is the largest funder…
Performance agreements are a crucial tool for research organisations to ensure that they are meeting their objectives and achieving the success they desire. A performance agreement is a document that outlines the goals, responsibilities, and…
In universities, research is one of the primary areas of focus. Therefore, an under-performing researcher can cause a significant impact on the university’s reputation, funding, and research output. Successfully managing an under-performing researcher is critical,…
Research managers who adopt a coaching approach drive innovation and excellence in academic research. Coaching research staff in higher education can have numerous benefits for both the individual researchers and the institution as a whole….
The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) by AdvanceHE recognises excellence in the provision of teaching within UK higher education. Each year since 2000, 55 individuals have been selected to receive this national award. A common…
There comes a point when your spreadsheet models of business processes just don’t cut it. You observe some complexity that is just too difficult to explore. You have questions that remain unanswered because you can’t do…
Here is my invited talk about Cyber-Physical Systems challenges, for iSCI2020 in Guangzhou, China. It was pre-recorded due to the COVID-19 travel ban. Research Challenges for the Industrial Adoption of Cyber-Physical Systems Abstract: Interest in…