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Parallel sessions for experienced research administrators

The parallel sessions detailed below are suited to all delegates with some experience in research administration and management in general, or in the topic being addressed, and speakers will assume some prior experience of the subject. Newer administrators may find some aspects of topics are unfamiliar, but are likely to find many sessions relevant to their interests. Please review the description of each session for further information about what it will cover.

For other sessions, see also:

103: Practitioner Reflections: The theory and practice of designing, implementing and maintaining Electronic Research Administration systems (panel discussion)

Ian McCormick, Director of Research & Business Services, University of East Anglia
Alan Bates, Senior Consultant H.E sector, Baum Hart & Partners, UK
Serena Cooper, System Manager, Science and Technology Facilities Council
David Downton, Research Operations Officer, University of Leicester, UK
Robin Drennan, Executive Director: GMSA, National Research Foundation, South Africa
Yvonne Fox, Research Support Manager, University of Lancaster, UK
Ian McCormick, Director of Research & Business Services, University of East Anglia

This panel session is designed to give a practical insight into the design, implementation and maintenance of electronic research administration systems from the perspectives of research organisations, funders and commercial suppliers. Each member of the panel will give a short presentation to highlight some key points, and then the discussion will be opened up to the audience.

106: The Development of Research Clusters

Peter Townsend, Director, Research Office, Loughborough University
Janet Dibb-Smith, Senior Advisor, Research and Innovation Cluster Directorate, University of South Australia

This session will explore the development of research clustering where universities are increasingly realising the importance of facilitating inter-disciplinary research and of undertaking collaborative research between two or more regionally based institutions, based upon supporting a particular theme or industry which may also be geographically co-located. Examples will be drawn from the presenters' own institutions including from the fields of energy technologies, sustainable communities, health and defence. The rationale for such collaboration, success factors, and implications for institutions and their research support functions will be explored.

308: The RCUK review of Full Economic Costing

Stuart Ward, Director of Resources, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Ian Carter, Director of Research, University of Liverpool

  • Theme(s): Policy and strategy/Research funding and funding opportunities
  • Target Audience: UK research administrators who may be involved in proposal costing, or in supporting the TRAC process
  • UK/International: UK delegates

    • UK higher education institutions have developed and implemented full economic costing (FEC) for all research over the past three years and Research Councils have been required to fund research projects on the basis of FEC, in order to help to address the sustainability of research. Its introduction has had numbers of effects within the sector. At the start of the process, the government indicated that FEC would be reviewed after three years. That review, by Research Councils UK, has now been initiated, to report by the end of 2008. This session will discuss some of the issues arising from the introduction of FEC, and the approach being taken in the review.

    502: The auditor and the audited: reflections on quality assurance processes employed by Research Councils in the UK

    Gareth MacDonald, RCUK Head of Assurance, Research Councils UK
    UK university speaker to be confirmed

    This session will give an overview of the UK Research Councils' current quality assurance processes (Funding Assurance Programme, formerly known as "Dipstick Testing") from the perspective of the Research Councils and an institution which has been visited. It will cover the accommodation of the recent implementation of "full economic costs" (fEC) requirements for Research Council funding in the UK. The session has been designed to accommodate an international audience.

    602: Good Practice in Contract Development, Negotiation and Pricing

    Dr Phil Clare, Associate Director, Research Services, University of Oxford

    This session will look at key issues in the development, negotiating and acceptance of contracts for research and the protection of the university's interests. As well as examining common concerns such as publishing rights, pricing and payment arrangements, indemnities and warranties, confidentiality, intellectual property and termination arrangements, participants will discuss ways to identify 'make or break' issues and to decide when to negotiate on the detail of a contract, and when to advise a client of concerns which should be addressed in any future agreement between the parties. The right balance between in-depth negotiation, model agreements and standard processes will be considered.

    Whilst many of the themes of the session will be of relevance in all jurisdictions, specific examples used in the session will draw on English law.

    605: Evaluating and Assessing Research Outputs and Outcomes

    Professor Ben Martin, Professor of Science and Technology Policy Studies, SPRU, University of Sussex
    Briony Rayfield, Evaluation Advisor, The Wellcome Trust
    Anne O'Neill, Research and Development Manager, Research and Development Office, The Children's Hospital at Westmead

    This session considers how best to evaluate the economic, social and health benefits of research. As well as considering different methodologies that can be used to measure research outcomes including case studies and KPIs, participants will also learn how a funding body evaluates the research which it funds.

    606: Science Policy Development in Europe, the US and Australia

    William F Schweri, Director of Federal Relations, University of Kentucky
    Campbell Warden, Executive Secretary, Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias
    Bradley Smith, Executive Director, Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies

    This session will compare and contrast how science policy and funding is developed in the US, Europe and Australia. Understanding how science policy is developed and how subsequent funding decisions are made at the national level provides research managers with a crystal ball to predict future policy directions, funding opportunities and how their organisations can position themselves accordingly. Science & Technology Foresight is one of the tools used in policy formulation, and offers the possibility to involve many of the stakeholders in the process. The session will include, therefore, a discussion of the use of Foresight in policy formulation in a European context.

    See also: