Exploring the Support and
Development Needs of New
Lecturers in the Business,
Management, Accounting and
Finance (BMAF) Subject Areas
Dr Philippa Hunter-Jones
ULMS

Structure of Presentation
• Introduction to the BMAF Project
– Overview
– Preliminary observations re: pilot study
• Share experiences of receiving a HEA Subject
Centre Award
– Research background
– Benefits + challenges!
– End thoughts

The BMAF Project
Aim of the study:
• To identify what the needs of new teaching staff in BMAF
disciplines are and to ascertain how BMAF can best offer support to
individuals, departments and universities.
Working definition of a New Lecturer (NL):
• Permanent full-time or part-time contract as a lecturer, even if
fixed term;
• Employed in a BMAF discipline area, ie not economics, law or
hospitality;
• Within the first 3 years of their first academic post, possibly just
into the 4th year, if required to achieve numbers;
• Not Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs).

Project Continued
Target Population:
• Strategic: Dean or Associate Dean and senior management with
overall responsibility for academic staff resourcing, quality
management and learning and teaching within the business school.
The Head of the Educational Development Unit (EDU) or equivalent.
• Operational: 2-3 programme directors/module leaders within the
business school and the EDU lead for the HEI Certificate in HE
teaching.
• New Academics: 6-8 new academic staff, i.e. within 3-4 years of
their first academic post, with a sample selected to reflect where
possible, subject specialism, career stage, gender and contract type
in the HEI.

Process
• Pilot Stage
– September – December 2008
– University of Liverpool + University of Ulster
• Main Stage
– Launched January 2009 (-June 2009)
– 6 institutions

Personal Experiences
• Research background:
– Publications
– different skill set
• First experience as a PI
• Overall gained a tremendous amount out of
the experience

Benefits of BMAF Award
• HEA/BMAF – supportive awarding body –
particularly for a ‘mid-career’ researcher
• Introduced to key players in BMAF and
Association of Business Schools (ABS)
• ‘Testing’ of internal research processes – IRIS,
RBS, Finance, Purchasing etc
• Professional Development in T+L which has
opened up opportunities for pedagogical
research/output

Challenges...
• Lack of previous fund holding experience yet
‘assumptions’ continuously made of ‘know-
how’...
• Complex project – cross-institutional, tight
timescale
• Delay in exchange of contracts = delay in
receipt of monies...
• Restrictions on use of monies = surplus...

What does a first time PI need?
• A mentor – (did in the form of the Educational
Development Division)
• Support in developing the necessary skill set
to apply for a grant and then to cope with
success!!
• Information detailing internal research
process – both central (RBS) and home
department/School

Information that would help the
process...
1. Flow chart of internal research process (IRIS)
showing: who is involved, at what stage, time
lag between stages, who needs to approve
applications, relationship between RBS + own
department/School.
3. Summary sheet of common features of a grant
application eg travel costs, accommodation
costs, research support costs etc

Questions
• Advice please!
• How might we successfully disseminate the
findings of the NLP? – most useful
dissemination format/s?
• How might I be more successful at coping with
success?!

Contact details
Dr Philippa Hunter-Jones
University of Liverpool Management School
T: 795 3018
E: P.Hunter-Jones@liv.ac.uk