How to use

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How to use

The framework in its current form contains seven professional development pathways:

Research Strategy and Planning
Research Funding Development
Research Projects and Income
Research Impact and Engagement
Research Governance and Compliance
Researcher Culture and Development
Research Systems and Technology

Each of the pathways contains a number of functions, undertaken by managers and administrators supporting the research agenda. These include embedding the principles of positive research culture across the organisation; developing proposals; managing project finance, knowledge exchange and business development, and supporting postgraduate and early career researchers.

Each function is presented from three different perspectives – Operational, Management and Leadership, which enables colleagues in research enabling roles to plan career development, as well as creates a broader view of how different roles support each other and the sector.

As you navigate the PDF tool, you will be able to click through each pathway button to reach the function level and the breakdown of core skills, underpinning knowledge and professional behaviours for roles at operational/management/leadership level.

Glossary

AREA – Anticipate, Reflect, Engage, Act
ASPA – The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act
CPD – Continuous Professional Development
CRM – Customer Relations Management
DPA – Data Protection Act
ECR – Early Career Research/ Researcher(s)
EDI – Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (as per ARMA EDI strategy)
FEC – Full Economic Costing
FOIA – Freedom of Information Act
HESA – Higher Education Student data
IP – Intellectual Property

IPR – Intellectual Property Rights
KE – Knowledge Exchange
KT – Knowledge Transfer
KTP – Knowledge Transfer Partnership
MoU – Memorandum of Understanding
NPSA – National Protective Security Authority
OA -Open Access
PCE – People, Culture and Environment (for REF)
PGR – Postgraduate Research/ Researcher(s)
PoC – Proof of Concept
PPI – Patient and Public Involvement

PL – Project Lead
PR – Public Relations
QAA – Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
R&D – Research and Development
R4RI – Resume for Research and Innovation
REF – Research Excellence Framework
RMA(s) – Research Managers and Administrators
SOP – Standard Operating Procedure
TT – Technology Transfer
UKRI – UK Research and Innovation
UOA – Unit of Assessment (for REF)

PDF at a glance

Research Strategy & Planning

Operational

Management

Leadership

Contributing to Research Policy and Strategy

Operational

Support the implementation of research policy and strategy and gather intelligence to help develop research policy and strategy

Management

Develop operational plans to implement research policy and strategy and ensure that the institution is meeting its legal and quality assurance obligations

Leadership

Lead institutional research policy and strategy and promote the institutional research agenda

Contributing to the REF

Operational

Collect, collate and check REF data and provide guidance and support for research staff and teams involved in the REF submission

Management

Plan and project manage preparation for the REF

Leadership

Devise strategies to maximise performance in the REF

Supporting Research Ethics and Governance

Operational

Provide up-to-date information and help research staff and colleagues to comply with research ethics and governance requirements

Management

Maintain oversight of institutional research ethics and governance processes and systems

Leadership

Develop strategy in relation to research ethics and governance

Research Funding & Development

Operational

Management

Leadership

Identifying Funding Sources and Customers

Operational

Target funding opportunities and disseminate information to relevant individuals

Management

Build `intelligence’ to help target funding opportunities and optimise the bidding process

Leadership

Develop strategies to maximise research income and market research to potential funders

Preparing Proposals

Operational

Co-ordinate proposal preparation (identifying research team members, preparing the budget and writing and reviewing text)

Management

Implement strategies and initiatives to maximise the institution’s success in securing research funding

Leadership

Develop targeted strategies to improve research funding outcomes

Costing, Pricing and Submitting Funding Proposals

Operational

Produce realistic project pricings, obtain `sign off’ for and submit proposals

Management

Maintain a financial overview of the research portfolio and oversee relevant staff resources, systems and processes to ensure that high-quality proposals are submitted

Leadership

Develop costing and pricing strategies to maximise the institution’s success in securing research funding

Research Projects & Income

Operational

Management

Leadership

Drafting, Negotiating and Accepting Contracts

Operational

Facilitate agreement and get sign-off of contracts

Management

Monitor and manage regulatory and legal issues arising from the contract

Leadership

Develop institutional strategies and approaches relating to contracts

Dealing with Project Finance

Operational

Monitor project spend and ensure compliance with funder’s terms and conditions

Management

Implement project finance systems and processes and monitor their effectiveness

Leadership

Develop project finance systems and processes

Employing Staff on Research Contracts

Operational

Provide administrative support for the recruitment and appointment of research staff

Management

Implement systems and processes relating to the employment of research staff

Leadership

Develop systems and processes relating to the employment of research staff

Reports for Funders

Operational

Collect and collate data and ensure that the report is completed and submitted according to the funder’s terms and conditions

Management

Implement systems and processes to facilitate report preparation

Leadership

Develop systems and processes that enable the institution to meet its reporting requirements

Supporting Audit

Operational

Provide administrative support for institutional audit

Management

Devise systems to collect data for audit

Leadership

Champion preparation for and participation in the audit and ensure that there is learning from issues identified

Research Governance & Compliance

Operational

Management

Leadership

Supporting Research Ethics and Governance

Operational

Assist with all stages of contract drafting

Management

Monitor and manage regulatory, ethical and legal issues

Leadership

Develop effective institutional processes and systems to underpin research and governance activity

Trusted Research

Operational

Support due diligence checks and provide relevant support

Management

Ensure institution-wide ethics and governance compliance

Leadership

Develop robust institutional policy and mechanisms to protect research data and IP

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)

Operational

Support research teams across all stages of RRI activity

Management

Develop and implement mechanisms to ensure compliance; establish communities to increase impact and dissemination

Leadership

Develop institutional policies and statements on the importance and purpose of responsible research

Research Impact & Engagement

Operational

Management

Leadership

Dissemination and Public Engagement

Operational

Collect data relating to research outputs and advise researchers on effective dissemination and public engagement channels

Management

Support researchers to comply with funder’s requirements and to utilise opportunities for research dissemination and public engagement

Leadership

Maximise the impact of dissemination and public engagement activities

Knowledge Exchange and Business Development

Operational

Promote and support knowledge exchange and transfer activities

Management

Develop an operational plan for implementing the knowledge exchange and transfer strategy and ensure that the institution meets legal/regulatory requirements

Leadership

Develop strategy in relation to knowledge exchange and transfer across disciplines

Technology Transfer

Operational

Provide support for technology transfer activities such as identifying opportunities, brokering relationships, licensing IP, creating ‘spin out’ companies

Management

Develop systems and processes to support technology transfer and ensure that the institution meets legal and regulatory requirements

Leadership

Develop strategy in relation to technology transfer across disciplines

Supporting CPD Courses

Operational

Identify opportunities and provide sound administrative support for CPD course provision

Management

Develop an operational plan, systems and processes to enhance institutional performance in CPD course provision

Leadership

Develop strategy in relation to CPD course provision

Researcher Culture & Development

Operational

Management

Leadership

Embedding positive research culture principles across the organisation

Operational

Demonstrate inclusive behaviours and inclusive language in administrative and support activity

Management

Develop processes that embed principles of positive research culture in day-to-day project operations.

Leadership

Develop strategies and systems in line with the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies and strategies and the research culture framework.

Supporting Postgraduate and Early Career Researchers

Operational

Provide administrative support for Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher journeys and success

Management

Maintain oversight of provision and support for Postgraduate and Early Career Researchers and monitor in relation to the REF Research Culture expectations

Leadership

Provide strategic direction for Postgraduate and Early Career researcher support and development

Research Systems & Technology

Operational

Management

Leadership

Contributing to Working with Management Information Systems

Operational

Collect and collate data and provide accessible reports to support institutional and local decision making

Management

Monitor the effectiveness of institutional management information systems and initiate changes as required

Leadership

Ensure that institutional decision making is built on sound management information

Making Statutory Returns

Operational

Collect and collate data and ensure that the return is complete and returned by the deadline

Management

Oversee systems and staff to ensure that a high-quality return is produced

Leadership

Ensure that the institution responds to issues arising from the statutory return process

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Individuals and Teams

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Core Competencies

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Glossary

PDF at a glance

Operational

Management

Leadership

Contributing to Research Policy and Strategy

Operational

Support the implementation of research policy and strategy and gather intelligence to help develop research policy and strategy

Management

Develop operational plans to implement research policy and strategy and ensure that the institution is meeting its legal and quality assurance obligations

Leadership

Lead institutional research policy and strategy and promote the institutional research agenda

Contributing to the REF

Operational

Collect, collate and check REF data and provide guidance and support for research staff and teams involved in the REF submission

Management

Plan and project manage preparation for the REF

Leadership

Devise strategies to maximise performance in the REF

Supporting Research Ethics and Governance

Operational

Provide up-to-date information and help research staff and colleagues to comply with research ethics and governance requirements

Management

Maintain oversight of institutional research ethics and governance processes and systems

Leadership

Develop strategy in relation to research ethics and governance

Operational

Management

Leadership

Identifying Funding Sources and Customers

Operational

Target funding opportunities and disseminate information to relevant individuals

Management

Build `intelligence’ to help target funding opportunities and optimise the bidding process

Leadership

Develop strategies to maximise research income and market research to potential funders

Preparing Proposals

Operational

Co-ordinate proposal preparation (identifying research team members, preparing the budget and writing and reviewing text)

Management

Implement strategies and initiatives to maximise the institution’s success in securing research funding

Leadership

Develop targeted strategies to improve research funding outcomes

Costing, Pricing and Submitting Funding Proposals

Operational

Produce realistic project pricings, obtain `sign off’ for and submit proposals

Management

Maintain a financial overview of the research portfolio and oversee relevant staff resources, systems and processes to ensure that high-quality proposals are submitted

Leadership

Develop costing and pricing strategies to maximise the institution’s success in securing research funding

Operational

Management

Leadership

Drafting, Negotiating and Accepting Contracts

Operational

Facilitate agreement and get sign-off of contracts

Management

Monitor and manage regulatory and legal issues arising from the contract

Leadership

Develop institutional strategies and approaches relating to contracts

Dealing with Project Finance

Operational

Monitor project spend and ensure compliance with funder’s terms and conditions

Management

Implement project finance systems and processes and monitor their effectiveness

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Contributing to Research Policy and Strategy