The Research Leaders’ Programme at the University of Birmingham

1. The Research Leaders’ Programme at the University of Birmingham Professor Tim Softley Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Transfer)

2. Enhancing the University’s research performance • Even with recruitment initiatives, redundancy etc, 80% of our academic staff will still be here in 5 years time. • So we need to work with our existing staff as well as bringing in new talent

3. Research Profile of Academic Staff • The A List • Strong research record – perhaps lacking confidence or drive to make the A list • Solid research record, good citizens, do a decent day’s work • (a) ECRs on upward path (b)………..

4. Research Profile of Academic Staff 10% 30% 40% 20% • The A List • Strong research record – perhaps lacking confidence or drive to make the A list • Solid research record, good citizens, do a decent day’s work • (a) ECRs on upward path (b)………..

5. The first few years of an academic career • Early career ambition and drive • Aim to secure tenure and promotion • Get a first major grant(s) as a PI • Relatively little administrative/management responsibilities • Get their head around the demands of teaching and research • Often run single-investigator research programme or as a Co-I on a major grant • Sometimes invited to give talks at major conferences as a rising star

6. The next few years • Consolidation of their growing reputation • Promotion to mid-tier of academic ranks, possibly by moving institutions • Grants that expand on their initial programmes or possibly develop new strands in parallel • More ambitious about where they publish • Growth of research group – PhDs, Post docs – less hands-on in supervision • International reputation growing, although no longer thought of as a rising star • Start to develop wider collaborations • May gain some international experience – sabbatical etc • Settled in to teaching routine and may have mid-tier admin/management roles

7. The plateau phase • Start to get frustrated at proposals being unfunded - blaming the system • Have taken on more commitments than they can reasonably handle • This period may coincide with personal changes – children, elderly parents, illness, divorce • Burning desire to change the world and educate the next generation through their science… may have been shelved • Invitations to conferences drying up, or haven’t got time to go • Degree of self–satisfaction with what they have achieved • Could lead a bigger research programme - if only they had the time or the motivation

8. Revitalization • What do we do about individuals in midcareer who have reached a plateau in their research performance (or worse)? • Mentoring, personal development review, 5-year planning, annual review and planning of outputs • Research Leaders’ Programme – giving those who have potential to do more a ‘leg-up’ to the next level – helping them to become research leaders

9. The Research Leaders’ Programme at Birmingham • Annual cohort of 18 -20 participants • Just starting 3rd cohort in May 2018 • Nominated from their schools/colleges – selected by me • Individuals are tenured academics in mid-career– usually just below full chair level or recently promoted to it. • The group spans all disciplines from Engineering to Humanities • Degree of prestige in being selected

10. Objectives of the RLP • To support mid-career academics to move their research programme up to the next level • To raise their ambition levels about what they can achieve on an international stage • To offer training and support to lead large research programmes • PI on multi-partner, multi-organisation grants • Leader of a research centre or institute • Increased external engagement and impact – Business/industry, NGOs, international HE partners, government policy offices • Research Director role in the school or department • To encourage multi-disciplinary collaborations and build a cohort • To understand more about how major programmes are funded • To pause and think about what comes next in their career

11. Individuals selected for the programme • Evidence of leadership qualities • Successful high quality research programme established but possibly on a limited scale or limited long term ambition • A latent desire to take their personal research reputation to the next level • A desire to lead larger programmes • Evidence for outward-facing engagement • Likelihood that they will engage interactively and can benefit from the programme

12. The Programme • Runs over 12 months • Attendance at all elements mandatory • 6 half-day workshops plus action-learning sets • 360 degree personal assessment/feedback • Personal coach and mentor • 1 week International visit • Supported by our People and Organisational Development team • Small individual grants to support networking • Involves personal ownership and commitment to the programme from the PVC (Research) and engagement from other senior academic leaders

13. The workshops – all are designed to be highly interactive • National/International funding picture and university research strategy; characteristics of a high performing research environment (PVC (Research), VC) • Building networks – practical advice from senior academic leading large programmes • Leadership and management – training from POD team • Preparing for major funding applications and interviews – led by Research Support Services leads, with senior academics sharing experiences • Engagement, impact and communications (PVC (Research) with academic sharing experiences, and university commsmanager [INTERNATIONAL VISIT] 6. Presentation and reflection on experiences

14. The international trips • Melbourne, Guangzhou, Urbana-Champaign/Chicago, (Brussels) – we split the cohort into 3 groups • Everyone goes away the same week and as a small group with a senior university leader • Combination of overview meetings as a group with leaders from the institutions we visit, and tailor made academic meetings and activities appropriate to individual disciplines

15. Purpose of international visit • Aspiration raising – understanding the competition better • New perspective on their own research, and academic career – new ideas, new ways of working etc • Develop international partnerships and collaborations • Cohort building within group

16. Guangzhou and China

17. Brussels

18. UoI Urbana Champaign and Chicago

19. The benefits from the programme overall • Successful in raising aspirations, and some have already stepped forward to lead larger programmes/ win major grants • Working with a multidisciplinary cohort over a year has brought a new perspective on their own university – its priorities and its opportunities (‘I never released quite how broad this university is’) – and developed new collaborations • We are building up a critical mass of revitalized academics across the university • Better understanding developed between academics at the coal face (them) and university hierarchy (us) • A growing cohort of academics who feel comfortable about speaking to me (and other senior leaders) directly and with whom I can share ideas

20. New lessons learnt

21. Discussion • Questions? • Would a U21 version of such a programme have merits?