Research Management Issues at Institutional Level

1
Research Management Issues at Institutional Level

• Dr Ellen Hazelkorn
• Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland
• Mission, Money and Management
• CNIER/IMHE conference, Beijing
• May 2005

2

• Given that research practices are changing and
  the pressures to deliver significant outputs are
  intensifying, the key question is how to
  structure and organise teaching and research in
  the universities (Gibbons et al, 1994).

3
Theories Underlying Change

• Systems of Innovation (Lundvall, 1992 Nelson,
  1993)
• Mode 2 (Gibbons, et al, 1994 Nowotny et al,
  2001)
• Triple Helix (Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff, 1997)
• Entrepreneurial University (Clark, 1998 Clark,
  2004)

4
HE Research as Economic Driver

• Global knowledge society ? Strategic importance
  of national research strategy
• Academic knowledge production ? Innovation ?
  Economic growth
• Task of growing research capability and capacity
  no longer optional

5
Institutional Opportunities

• National and regional economy
• Institutional history and development
• Research experience, capability and capacity
• HE system and role of individual HEIs

6
Identifying Institutional Objectives

• Teaching-only
• Research informed
• Research based
• Research active
• Research led
• Research intensive
• Research-only

7
Strategic Choices

• Applied vs basic research?
• Teaching vs research?
• Individual vs research teams?
• Recruit or grow?
• Specialisation vs comprehensive research
  activity?
• Decentralised vs centralised management?

8
Basic vs Applied Research?

• Widening the definition of research
• Boyer 4 scholarships
• Gibbons Mode 2
• Creative and Professional Practice

9
Teaching vs Research?

• Academic contracts usually include requirements
  to teach and conduct research
• Research activity is a key criteria in
  appointment and promotion
• Dual career paths?

10
Individual vs Research Teams?

• Research is dependent upon individuals but is no
  longer an individual activity
• Shift locus of activity away from individuals and
  towards clusters
• Emphasis on critical mass of scholars based
  around interdisciplinary teams with
  grant-awarding reputations and timely outcomes

11
Recruit or Grow?

• Should an institution recruit new faculty or help
  existing faculty develop new or enhanced skills?
• ability to recruit good researchers,
• availability of competence,
• available funding,
• responsiveness of faculty.

12
Specialisation vs Comprehensive Research
Activity?

• Creating competitive advantage
• Priority setting activity
• Competitive funding opportunities
• Resource allocation models
• Identify research active faculty
• National or institutional priorities

13
Decentralised vs centralised management?

• Professional management
• Research office
• Institutional research committee
• Role of individual researchers?

14
Recommendations (1)

• Investment Strategy Align budgets to support
  research, research active staff competitive
  research.
• Organisational Structures Establish research
  Office and designated positions, including a
  graduate school
• Performance Indicators Use benchmarks to shape
  priorities, funding, recruitment, etc.
• Priority-setting Map competences and niche
  specialisation against national/international
  priorities.

15
Recommendations (2)

• Research Centres Grow research groups capable of
  winning external funding and recognition.
• Align Priorities with teaching, funding and
  infrastructure.
• Strategic Alliances Link with other HEIs and
  public/private organisations to match priorities
• Leadership Ensure Strategy is endorsed by
  President, senior management and boards of
  trustees

16

• The nature of higher education development is
  not limited by national boundaries, but each
  nation must have the capacity to examine the
  costs and benefits of each new development and
  decide whether it is appropriate for their own
  society or culture.China and its international
  partners have much to learn from one another.