1. RESEARCH REALLY MATTERS
MAPS Faculty Board
RESEARCH REALLY MATTERS
8th December 2006
Bronek Wedzicha
Pro-Dean Research

2. Why does research really matter?
Fundamental to University life
The reason why many of the academic staff came here
Freedom to pursue specific interests
Strong sense of ownership
Measure of our esteem amongst peers
Reflects standing of University
Leads to other things (e.g., through EKT)
Tensions:
RAE
Metric based assessments (e.g., impact, citations)
League tables
Research funding models: FEC
Funding a measure of research performance
What we do is increasingly specified by others

3. Research Really Matters!
2005/6 was all about Faculty and University Strategy
2006/7 is all about delivery
The external agenda (Research Councils, Government)
We need to explore aspirations, drivers, constraints
It is becoming urgent that we find solutions: failure to do so is not an option!
I am seeking advice-this is not meant to be prescriptive
Ownership
Leadership
VITAL

4. ‘The Chancellor, in the pre-Budget report today (6 December), announced the outcome of the consultation exercise on the future of research assessment and funding.
The statement confirmed that the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) will go ahead as planned and that the results of RAE 2008 will significantly influence funding for the five-year period from ’

5. A revised system of assessment will be introduced after 2008
A revised system of assessment will be introduced after The key features will be:
for science, engineering, technology (SET) and medicine, a combination of research income, data on postgraduate research students and a bibliometric indicator of quality will be used to assess research. The process will be overseen by a small number of expert advisory groups
for all other disciplines, including mathematics and statistics, there will be a light-touch peer review process informed by a range of discipline-specific indicators.
The new system will be phased in gradually for the SET and medical disciplines from September 2010 to August In all other disciplines, expert panels will be convened in 2013 to inform funding allocations from 2014 onwards.

6. Faculty of MAPS

7. Growing Research Income and Performance (GRIP)
The GRIP Agenda:
Developing staff
SRDS
Mentoring
Developing Research staff
Creating time for academic development
Faculty policy on sabbaticals
Raising Our Esteem
Growing Peaks of Excellence
Faculty Policy on visitors
Doing Things Better
Peer review of grant applications
Peer review of final reports
Final report ratings
Research administration processes

8. RAE Reviews of draft submissions now complete for MAPS
Feedback meetings
External review
Revised drafts in January
Another round of feedback

9. Questions How do we use SRDS to best advantage to develop staff?
How should mentoring work?
How do we create for time for academic development?
How can we encourage more individuals to apply for research grants?
How can we get larger grants?
What should be our approach to Peaks of Excellence?
Will Peer Review lead to greater successes?
How can we improve our research administration processes?