policy & reform
Big picture
Changes to the assessment of research are having profound effects on the demands of research leadership.
The shift in emphasis from the quantity of publications to the quality of publications has sharpened the focus of the individual researcher and the research leader to produce fewer, higher quality publications.
Furthermore, those leaders of research concentrations are seeing greater expectations to lead a group accessing resources from multiple sources and growing levels of academic accountability.
In the face of these changes, there are many research leaders struggling with the new leadership roles thrust upon them in this new and rapidly changing environment.
This view is supported by professor Paul Gollan, associate dean( research) in the faculty of business and economics at Macquarie University, who said:“ Research leadership is riding a wave of change that has the potential to leave many academics in the shallows. University senior managers are now realising that it is research groups, that is, centres and institutes, which will drive a critical mass of research excellence rather than the sole academic. However, in many universities the leadership of these groups is problematic.”
While the Ernst and Young report University of the Future focused largely on teaching, technology and new business models, the essential and changing role of research leadership was largely ignored. Whereas the focus of the past was individual performance, now we are seeing a shift to‘ building capacity’ through the establishment of research groups within universities. Many research academics will struggle with this change. We are seeing a fundamental shift of emphasis from‘ the leading researcher’ to‘ the research leader.’
This shift in emphasis, combined with tighter research funding, demands new skills for individuals who lead research groups.
24 | March 2013
Professor Jim Piper, deputy vicechancellor at Macquarie University, discusses the concept of the‘ self-limiting researcher’ as someone who wants to control the agenda so much that they cannot or will not pursue broader goals through others.“ Research leaders need to develop the skills to see a contribution that lies beyond their own direct capacity to an outcome that will rely on the work of others. This bigger picture or research vision inspires young researchers to orient their careers in that direction,” Piper said. Professor Nadia Rosenthal, director of the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, also challenges the status quo of research leadership.“ The world of the research leader has changed; like a business, a research group with a strong future now often needs to have diverse income streams,” she said.“ Today’ s research leaders must oversee the attraction of resources from multiple sources. Strategic and ongoing relationships with industry and government that do not compromise the research, are critical for sustained research funding.”
Professor Rosenthal elaborates that this drive for strategic partnerships must be supported by a research vision that goes beyond personal interest.
At a recent session of the Ethos Research Leaders Forum, she encouraged participants to craft a vision that captured the“ really big picture, the contribution to society beyond the research papers. Get this vision right and you will help attract research funding from international sources,” Rosenthal said.
Gollan expands this concept by seeing major challenges for senior researchers with a background in writing research grants to clearly and concisely communicate the benefits of the research to people who do not have a background in their discipline.“ This concise message
Leading researchers need to become research leaders, writes Mark Douglas
must be in a polished two- to three-minute pitch and supported by a one-page written pitch,” he explains.
Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte, director of NICTA, sees the organisation culture of the research group as one of the key challenges facing research leaders in today’ s universities. Durrant-Whyte called on research leaders to“ build a culture of generosity and support within their research groups to confront the competiveness between colleagues.
“ A research team that understands, supports and advocates for each other’ s research is a great place to work and is impressive to visiting researchers and some potential funders,” he said.
Gollan believes universities need to upgrade the skills of their research leaders in strategy, research communication and measuring research impact, and to complement these new skills with performance measures that are more broadly based to reflect growing demands from the public, politicians and industry while also emphasising that pure( not just applied) research is important and forms the basis and foundation of practical research.
While the number of undergraduate students is responsible for much of the income to universities, the international reputation of universities lies in the research expertise of the academic staff. As we look forward to a vision of 10 Australian universities in the top 100 international universities by 2025, it’ s clear that this will be achieved in large part by our universities taking increasing responsibility for the development of their leading researchers into effective research leaders. n
Mark Douglas is the director of Ethos Australia Pty Ltd and founder of the Ethos Research Leaders Forum.