Director of Research

Information on the Director of Research role.

The purpose of the role is to encourage and enable research excellence across the School.

This includes leading researcher development workshops and events, research communication, internal review and support of grant and fellowship applications, including demand management where appropriate, and representing the School on the College Research Committee (CRC) - ensuring feedback into CRC to represent the School’s perspective and interests; and from CRC to ensure the School are informed of CRC discussions and decisions.

The post-holder is a member of the School’s Strategy Committee, and is supported by a Deputy, the School REF Co-ordinator (during REF timeframes), Impact Coordinator, PDRA Development Coordinator and the Head of Research Services.  Diary management support is provided by the School Office.

Role Responsibilities

  • Lead the development and delivery of the School’s strategy for Research and impact.
  • Chair the School Research Committee.
  • Facilitate growth in income from research and maximise the impact of the School’s research.  This will be achieved by a combination of the following activities.
    • Promote the School's research and knowledge transfer capabilities to College and the wider University, including representation on the College Research Committee, and to external stakeholders, including funding agencies.
    • Identify and promote research achievements made in the School, and ensure that the School's mechanisms for publicising its research are working effectively.
    • Disseminate specific or targeted new research funding opportunities to the School, identifying potential candidates for high profile or career developing opportunities.  This includes working to diversify the research income streams to the School through knowledge of the external funding environment, helping support the development of major bids, and actively developing strategies to increase the number and quality of Fellowship applications for tenure in the School.
    • Knowledge of the research capabilities and achievements of groups within the School and use this information effectively to promote the School externally. Leading on the development of new research directions.
    • Promote research quality enhancing measures. This includes ensuring a robust system for research grant application Demand Management as required by UKRI and other funders; running periodic Research Excellence workshops focused on output quality; developing protocols for organising and delivering grant writing workshops in consultation with the College of Science and Engineering and IAD; developing procotols for elements of responsible research such as research data management, export control etc.
    • Awareness of cross-School and cross-College activities areas of opportunity, and pro-actively influence these where appropriate.  Provide strategic input to College Research Themes.

 

The Director and Deputy will generally agree the split of the role responsibilities between them.    

While line management of the Deputy Director of Research, REF Coordinator, Impact Coordinator PDRA Development Coordinator and the Head of Research Services remains with their relevant line manager, the Director of Research provides leadership and management of the post holder’s relevant research and impact related responsibilities.

 

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