Consultancy and Training in Universities

Changes in University funding , the wider commodification of knowledge and  increased use of metrics have all contributed to an evolution of academic and research roles. Alongside these changes, workloads have often increased and staff well-being decreased. There are greater demands than ever in teaching, with more students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and also challenges to both write and to be awarded grant funding for research. Universities and departments struggle to identify  time to review practices, culture and processes, and  to generate meaningful change that resonates with staff or that facilitates renewed levels of engagement and future success.

 An external review can avoid the conflicts of interest that happen when these are performed internally. A review would aim to identify and evidence strengths and weaknesses and to make specific, meaningful recommendations to underpin increases in effectiveness, outputs or performance.  

There are many small changes that can contribute to increased grant success,  from increasing  academic presence on grant panels, to developing pipelines, collaborations and internal support mechanisms.  A more specific programme for group coaching for grant writing in the area of Biosciences  is also available.

While many employers actively encourage diversity in leadership groups, often people find themselves in such groups without experience or training in leadership skills. In addition, leaders themselves often lack critical understanding, knowledge or skills that allow them to create the synergy that diversity can provide.  Workshops for leadership teams or for new leaders can help groups gain a greater understanding of the principles of leadership,  learn how to provide inclusive and supportive environments, how to make the most of diversity and to increase confidence in the future  directions and outcomes of their teams.

Through facilitated structured workshops,  and open discussions with staff,  barriers within  research activities and culture will be explored. Together groups will  co-create routes for  implementation of  inclusive practices that will enhance opportunities for high quality research and grant capture.  Contact me to discuss your needs around understanding and routes to enhance your   research culture.

 Activities can range from analysing underpinning evidence, ensuring clear consideration of options, writing presentations focussed on the change suitable for academic audiences, running workshops, collating ideas and generating step by step timelines for implementation. Activity in this area could involve a single meeting through to interactions over the time-period of the change.