This presentation discusses strategies for increasing research at Fiji National University. To increase productivity, the university needs strong research management structures like a research office and associate deans. To improve quality, it should set clear expectations, provide funding and incentives for meeting objectives, measure performance, and celebrate successes. Professors are important as role models and mentors. To boost capacity, the university can offer PhD and professional doctorates, recruit experienced researchers, better support existing researchers through teams and training, and grow future staff through PhD scholarships focused on strategic topics. Both the URPC and UPGC have key roles in implementing solutions.

1. A PRESENTATION ON
FIJI NATIONAL
UNIVERSITY
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Joint URPC & UPGC Workshop
21 September 2016

2. Challenge to 2020
1. How do we increase our research productivity?
2. How do we increase our research quality?
3. How do we increase our research capability and
capacity?
Solution involves both URPC and UPGC
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3. How do we increase our research
productivity?
 Productivity = outputs per input (efficiency)
 Management of research? Where is/are:
 Research strategy / fund?
 Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)?
 Research and Innovation Office?
 Postgraduate Dean?
 Postgraduate Office / Graduate School?
 Associate Deans (Research)?
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4. How do we increase our research
quality?
 Simple view:
 Set clear expectations - research outputs, grant income,
PhD completions
 Provide time / pump prime funding against agreed
objectives
 Incentivise success (align with performance review /
promotions)
 Measure performance (clear metrics)
 Reward and celebrate success
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5. How do we increase our research
quality? (2)
 Importance of professors as:
 Role models
 Mentors and guides
 Good professors raise the performance of those around
them
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6. How do we increase our research
capability and capacity?
 Upskilling existing mid-career academic staff
 May be difficult with low rate of return
 FNU Fellowships for PhD
 PhD by publication for established researchers
 Professional doctorates for inexperienced researchers
 May need pool of international adjunct staff to provide
sufficient supervisors
 Appointing new academic staff
 Experienced researchers
 New PhDs
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7. How do we increase our research
capability and capacity? (2)
 Better supporting existing researchers
 Building multidisciplinary university-wide teams around
thematic research (eg, climate adaptation, ageing
populations, NCDs)
 Establishing the “rules” for university research centres
(funding, management, annual performance reviews)
 Bid writing workshops
 In-house conferences and workshops
 Supervisory training
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8. How do we increase our research
capability and capacity? (3)
 Growing future staff
 PhD scholarships (including maximising use of external
scholarships)
 Invite research teams to develop projects, for which they
can recruit PhD students
 Focus PhD scholarships on topics we want FNU to be
known for
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9. Over to you…
1. How do we increase our research productivity?
2. How do we increase our research quality?
3. How do we increase our research capability and
capacity?
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