The document discusses how Northumbria University provides support to researchers across the research lifecycle through its Research and Innovation Services (RIS). RIS has over 60 staff members across various teams that develop policy, provide training, and offer other services. RIS works closely with other university departments like the library to enable researchers to navigate the complex research ecosystem through a holistic approach and by profiling research activity. This collaboration helps inform strategic decisions and support researcher development through various joint initiatives.

1. Working with your
Research Office

2. About me
Researcher Skills Development Manager, responsible for
commissioning, developing and delivering researcher
development activities across the University. Working on the
Research Culture agenda.
Worked at Northumbria for 10 years
(previously at Newcastle for 15 years)
Also have experience of:
• Strategy development
• Working with academics to find funding and prepare grant
applications
• Managing the University Ethics processes (including NHS
ethics)
• Preparing REF submissions (writing impact case studies &
environment statements)
• Research management information (RGCI)

3. About Northumbria
• 16 academic departments and 1708 academic staff
• Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 – 1095 research active staff
submitted (up from 343 in REF 2014)
• Through our strategy (which started in 2008) we are transforming into a research
intensive university
(RGCI from £4.6m a year in 2014 to £22.9m in 2022)
• Times Higher Education University of the Year 2022

4. Research & Innovation Services (RIS)
• Policy Team
• Researcher Skills Development
• Research Culture & Quality
• Research Ethics and Integrity
• Research Information & Systems
• Research Development
• Research Development Managers
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
• Pre-Award
• Post Award
• Impact & IP Commercialisation
• Economic Development (also includes IDRT management)
Centralised service that offers professional support to our academic community across the whole research and innovation lifecycle:
Over 60 members of staff in RIS

5. How do we enable academics to navigate the complex research ecosystem?

6. The Four
Sections of the
Vitae
Framework
Was created from empirical data, collected through
interviewing researchers, to identify the
characteristics of excellent researchers expressed in
the RDF as ‘descriptors’.
The descriptors are structured in four domains and
twelve sub-domains, encompassing the knowledge,
intellectual abilities, techniques and professional
standards to do research, as well as the personal
qualities, knowledge and skills to work with others
and ensure the wider impact of research.
RIS/Marketing
HR/OD
Dept/Library
RIS
Vitae Researcher Development Framework
Key skills academics need to thrive:
• Knowledge and intellectual abilities
• Personal effectiveness
• Research governance and organisation
• Engagement, influence and impact

7. Building the relationship
team of one or team of many
• RIS appointed a Research Quality & Culture Manager (previously Scholarly
Comms Librarian)
• RIS Policy Team and Library Scholarly Comms team meet every 2 months
• Joint Teams channel
• General catch up
• Open research practices/Open Research Week
• Responsible metrics
• PURE updates (current research information system)
• Researcher development
• EDI/accessibility of resources
• Representative from the Library (Head of Library Learning & Research
Services) on the Researcher Development Steering Group (manage and
monitor RD Concordat & HR Excellence in Research commitments)
• Cross University Working Groups – REF: Library representation to advise on
data checking/validation and collation of publications

8. Researcher Development Concordat & HR
Excellence in Research 10 Year submission
Hearing the voice of researchers through:
• Research Culture Survey
• Theory of Change workshops
Emerging overarching aims/outcomes:
• Better recruitment and retention – happier researchers
• Better quality and more impactful research – more funding for
research (grant funding and REF QR funding).
• Integrity and good research conduct is embedded in everything
that we do – improved research practices/University has a good
reputation
Researcher Development Steering Group: academics, HR, RIS, Library, Graduate School
supports organisations to provide an inclusive and positive
environment for their researchers to thrive

9. Profiling Research Activity to inform decision making
Alongside grant income information from RIS
Research Insight & Intelligence on publishing – through SciVal reporting to identify:
• Collaborative research strengths
• Strong international collaborations
• Research topic matches for potential collaboration
• Highlighting links with industry
• Interdisciplinary strengths
• Benchmarking performance against the sector
Inform discussions and build supporting evidence around:
• Interdisciplinary Research Themes (IDRTs)
• Strategic international partnerships

10. Cross promotion and delivery of researcher skills development
• Holistic researcher development offer – all professional
support services that support researcher development –
Graduate School, Marketing, Organisational Development,
Library – looking at content and delivery modes
• Induction review – more holistic approach across Faculties
and professional support services
• Joint Drop in Sessions in Research Commons
• Working together on large events
• Support for Open Research Week – from Enhancing
Research Culture budget – working with the UK
Reproducibility Network Lead
• IDRT relaunch – Library stand
• Bitesize Guides: research data management, open research

11. Further reading
• Understanding researcher needs and raising the profile of
library research support
• Libraries and the REF: how do librarians contribute to
research excellence?
• How Academic Libraries Can Support Research Offices More
Effectively
• The Value of Libraries for Research and Researchers
• The role of academic and research libraries as active
participants and leaders in the production of scholarly
research
• Enhancing Integrated Library System Collaboration with the
Research Office and Faculty

12. DARTS8: Discover Academic Research
Training and Support