Challenge-led Research: Challenge or Opportunity? Lorna Wilson and Professor Pauline Dixon ARMA Conference 2017 6th June 2017

Introductions! Lorna Wilson @LornaRFDNCL (lorna.wilson@ncl.ac.uk) Professor Pauline Dixon @drpaulinedixon (pauline.dixon@ncl.ac.uk)

Objectives of the Session… Attendees will (hopefully!): Have a greater understanding of “challenge-led” research and how we can best support this. Feel more empowered with regards to your role within challenge-led research proposals and the role you can play in this process. Have increased awareness and knowledge of best practice in this area.

What will we be covering? What is challenge-led research? Models of development for challenge-led research Professor Pauline Dixon What underpins these challenge-led research programmes? Partnership and Relationship Building PI and Research Development Collaboration The future of challenge-led research…

What is Challenge-led research? Challenge led research = Research that is driven by a specific societal issue which requires a solution. It’s nothing new! What does it mean for the research community? Academic Freedom Marrying excellence and impact….that old story! Mainstreaming means a different approach; More embedded within the process. Ownership!

It’s everywhere!

Engaging with Challenge-led research Took me a while to wake up……… Key Case Studies for me: RCUK Urban Living Partnership AHRC Creative Fuse North East Becoming day to day practice!

First Chat of the Session! In your groups, for 10 minutes: Introduce yourselves! Do you feel you work a lot on what are challenge-led proposals? Is a proposal ever not challenge-led?

So how does this feed into proposal development? Traditional Model Who? What? Research Context Academic Partnerships The Proposal Idea/Research Questions What are you trying to achieve? OBJECTIVE! Impact Methods Non-academic Partnerships Outputs

So how does this feed into proposal development? Challenge-led Model What? Research Context Partnerships! The Proposal The Challenge! What are you trying to achieve? OBJECTIVE! Research Questions Who? Partnerships! Methods Outputs

So how does this feed into proposal development? Challenge-led Model IMPACT What? Research Context Partnerships! The Proposal The Challenge! What are you trying to achieve? OBJECTIVE! Research Questions Who? Partnerships! Methods Outputs

Hello Pauline! Professor of International Development and Education Research Interests include; education in slums areas, regulation and privatisation of education in developing countries, giftedness and creativity, literacy, and education vouchers. Various funded projects with ESRC, DfID, John Templeton Foundation. Expert Witness to the International Development Select Committee. Panel Member for ESRC and DfID.

Individual & political freedom What is Development? Development Quality of life National wealth Economic security Individual & political freedom Average income Life expectancy

What challenge(s) drive my research? International Development of course! Education ESSENTIAL to the development agenda. Various challenges have driven research agenda across the years: “Education for all” How many children are in education in slum areas, and what form of education does this take? How do parents make decisions regarding their child’s education in slum areas? Ineffectual aid spending and bad interventions….

Aid to Schools – Planners and Disaster! We need more effective solutions for development projects: In India and Kenya, aid money spent on toilet construction, BUT, not water provided to flush them. In India aid money spent on 8,000 televisions provided to schools that don’t have electricity, and then stolen as never delivered. School building projects where there are no teachers to teach in them.

Research in search of a better way…… GHANA CHINA INDIA Liberia/ South Sudan/Leone NIGERIA KENYA Tanzania

Superstars in the Slums

Creativity

School Vouchers

DRIVEN BY THE CHALLENGES! The GCRF! What an opportunity! Grass roots approach to international aid, providing evidence to support scalable and sustainable change. DRIVEN BY THE CHALLENGES!

The Opportunities of a Challenge-led GCRF Use gold standard research to inform policy not ‘Planners’ who think they know best Ask the poor what they want “but no one ever asked us” Searchers to allocate aid Evidence based support for scalable and sustainable development that can make a difference - through research based findings and initiatives

Underpinning Challenge-led Programmes There is always an agenda, and sometimes it’s hidden…. A full understanding of this = better proposal Examples of this are everywhere: Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Global Challenges Research Fund

UN Sustainable Development Goals Replace the Millennium Development Goals 17 Goals 169 Targets Not just for developing countries!

UN Sustainable Development Goals Cont’d BUT, what are behind the targets? Agreed Indicators: Goal 11 “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” Target 1 – By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services, and upgrade slums. Indicator - Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing.

UN Sustainable Development Goals Cont’d Goal 11 “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” Target 2 - By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons. Indicator - Proportion of the population that has convenient access to public transport, disaggregated by age group, sex and persons with disabilities.

Consider the Challenge-led Model…. What? Research Context Partnerships! The Proposal The Challenge! What are you trying to achieve? OBJECTIVE! Research Questions Who? Partnerships! Methods Outputs

Now, how would that look for a GCRF proposal? HIV/ AIDS Stigma and HIV/AIDS, engagement and participatory approaches, value of the arts Centre for Infectious Disease Research (Zimbabwe) The Proposal 3.3.1 “Number of new HIV infections per 1,000 uninfected population, by sex, age, and key populations” Eradicate Stigma! Research Questions Co-written book, policy briefings and events, final report, community essays etc Southern Africa Populations (Potential for global population!) Foundation for Community Support Services (Malawi) Action Workshops, Pilot Research, Online Platform etc

Challenge-led Research – Cross-Cutting!

Time for Another Discussion… In your groups for 10 minutes: Think of when you’ve previously supported challenge-led proposals (GCRF or otherwise!), share examples of these. How are your academics responding to an increasing number of these challenge-led calls? Has your approach to support changed at all? What do you do differently?

Partnerships and Relationship Building Fundamentally, THE most important element of challenge-led research. Contributing academic research and expertise, BUT, what about actual delivery? Delivery Mechanism of Challenge-led Research is the linch pin.

Partnerships and Relationship Building Cont’d Partnerships take time, especially when lacking infrastructure. Challenge-led proposals require different “tiered” partners Global In-Country Regional Local Communities New vs Old Institutional Relationships already in place?

Capacity Building and Challenge-led Research Major focus of Collective Call 1 for GCRF. Seen across ODA research. Not just for the researchers and non-academic organisations, but the professional services supporting such initiatives! How can we as research support professionals play more of a role with regards to building capacity overseas to support such initiatives? How can we convince our PI’s that there is value in this?! Do they need convincing at all?!

Group Discussion In your groups for 15 minutes: How can UK research professionals mobilise to build capacity with international colleagues working in this space? How do you think ARMA could support this? Blue skies thinking!

PI and Research Development Collaboration The earlier the better! PI should be focussing on the SCIENCE, what other support can we be providing to ensure a high quality application? Keeping the team updated – both academic and non- academic. Timescales, timescales, timescale…. Get creative! Plan B, C, D, E, F……

PI and Research Development Collaboration

Final Discussion! In your groups for 5 minutes (eek!): Think about the session and your own role with regards to challenge-led research, what best practice can you share? What are the key points to take back to your institutions and embed within your own practice?

Crystal Ball Time……. Challenge-led research will continue to dominate the research funding landscape. Increased internationalisation of funding. Increased interdisciplinarity (UKRI). Further professionalization of the research development sector, and evolution of roles. Are we prepared for this? Are we suitably resourced? Do we have the right expertise?

Thank You! Any questions? I’ll be sending round the group materials. Please come and say hello, enjoy the rest of the conference! Lorna Wilson @LornaRFDNCL (lorna.wilson@ncl.ac.uk) Professor Pauline Dixon @drpaulinedixon (pauline.dixon@ncl.ac.uk)