dr tim horne, head of the research excellence unit, coventry university
TRANSCRIPT
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Establishing research strategies and priorities
Dr Tim Horne
Head, Research Excellence Unit
Coventry University
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(At least) two key questions
• What does the research landscape look like for universities?
• If we assume REF is a ‘given’, how can we optimise submissions?
• and note the breakout sessions
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My landscape - the context of Coventry
• ‘Modern’ university, i.e. post-92
• Improvements driven by focus on L+T, and business engagement
• Highest ranked modern university in Guardian and Sunday Times
• 2015 THE University of the year
• REF2014 strategy focussed on GPA
• 2014 launch of ‘Excellence with Impact’, £150M research strategy
• As a result, research is now a major focus
• building on existing strengths, and developing new areas
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Preparing for the future research landscape
• Some recent ‘events’ on the research landscape:
• Dowling review of Business-University research collaborations
• Wilsden’s ‘Metric Tide’
• Nurse’s ‘Ensuring a successful UK research endeavour’
• Stern review
• UK Higher Education and Research Bill
• Throw in OA requirements, and it adds up to plenty to think about
when scenario planning
• And then to cap it all, the very unexpected European exit
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But enough about England’s football team
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Future landscape – a bit Churchillian?
• A riddle, wrapped inside a mystery, inside an enigma (said by
Churchill of Russia)
• Or perhaps even Rumsfeldian:
• there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We
also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there
are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown
unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know
• However, let’s focus on the ‘knowns’, or at least what we know
‘should’ or ‘will’ happen
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Should: two minute guide to the Nurse review
• Recommendations and comments include:
• Haldane principle – allocation of resources by experts
• ‘Research produces knowledge that enhances our culture and
civilisation, and contributes to the public good’
• Peer review essential to funding decisions (cf Metric Tide)
• Fund the best research wherever it is found
• (compare 2014 QR allocation with 2008)
• Proportionate use of ‘societal impact’
• Enhance strategic relationship between Innovate UK and the
Research Councils
• Create Research UK, headed by ‘highly distinguished scientist’,
and maintain the individual Research Councils
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Will: research landscape: what’s planned?
• 2016/17 grant letter from BIS to HEFCE:
• ‘commitment to the dual support system’, so QR stays
• the next REF exercise…should be completed by the end of
2021
• HEIF for business – university (research) links maintained, at
least for now
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Will: research landscape: what’s planned?
• Higher Education and Research Bill:
• Will enact some of the recommendations of the Nurse review, and
will create UK Research and Innovation
• UKRI = RCUK + Innovate UK + HEFCE research functions
• And then came Brexit – new PM, new Government, which may or
may not change things
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Will: REF, and preparations for it
• REF will be completed by the end of 2021
• Speculation, but save the date: Friday 27th November 2020!
• A rapid rewrite if the earlier speakers have said things different but:
• Broadly speaking similar to REF2014
• Maybe changes to the 4 outputs per person rule?
• Maybe impact 25%, REF3A gone to a revised ‘environment’
• Maybe softening of the tight link between FTEs and number of case
studies to stop unintended consequences
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Careers at risk after case studies ‘game
playing’, REF study suggests
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So, maybe under 4½ years to the next REF
• Much has been said about impact, but outputs will remain the
biggest scoring component – so how do we improve these?
• Perhaps, like me you have academic colleagues asking
• ‘How do I write a good paper’?
• With apologies for stating the obvious, I usually say to them:
• start with original, significant, rigorous – in the initial idea
• a 1* idea will never turn into a 4* paper
• However, if colleagues have 4* research, it’s still possible to turn it
into a 3*, or worse paper
• Taken from a talk by a REF panel member, how to score well:
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Outputs: how to achieve – from a REF panellist
• 4* is genuinely original
• Use the abstract and introduction to lay out the context
• Make clear what’s new, and its academic significance
• Show that the methodology/approach leads to rigour
• Draw clear conclusions, as per abstract/introduction
• And do not, repeat not, tell the reader what to think:
• this is world-leading, ground-breaking or whatever
• On the other hand…
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Outputs: how to underachieve
• This work follows on from our previous paper…
• So, this one isn’t original then
• Details of the experiment/methodology will be described in…
• so this paper isn’t rigorous, or significant
• Submit two papers with a similar title or content for the same
person
• chances are, one isn’t ‘original’
• Submit reviews – in many cases not ‘original’ research
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So, need to start working with colleagues now
• If you are an academic, you’ll have already been planning your
research for the next few years - idea > funding > output
• won’t you?
• If you’re a research manager, do all your academic colleagues
already know and understand all that’s been said today?
• if not, what’s your plan to inform?
• One final slide on impact:
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Impact in the REF
• Clear line: 2* research > non-academic benefit > we have evidence
• Dissemination is not impact – where’s the evidence of change?
• Be honest and realistic, and do not overclaim
• We all, or nearly all, did well last time
• Assume next time will be tougher
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Thank you for staying to the end!
07974 98 40 18
@timjhorne