• Put research at the heart of UL 

  • Be creative, innovative, supportive and responsive in our approach to advancing research 
Data Science

Context: By this we mean to realise our vision as a research-led organisation. To achieve this goal, research is embedded in all our decision-making, and integrated into all of our activities including education and outreach. In addition, by embedding research into our student journey we will foster a research ethos that provides an outstanding student learning experience and is globally connected in addressing societal and economic challenges. We are committed to building a culture of research excellence that pervades all aspects of our organisation. In this environment, innovation is encouraged as we build a responsive and supportive research ecosystem which attracts and supports talented individuals and groups to excel in their fields.  

 

Objectives 

  • Exploit the synergy between education and research to establish a research-led culture which protects time for research.  

  • Build on our responsiveness and agility to grow funding, research activity, and increase doctoral studentships.  

  • Invest in an excellent, agile, responsive and efficient research support ecosystem which sits at the core of UL activity to deliver our research-led ambitions.   

  • Celebrate research excellence and establish research at the heart of UL’s communications strategy. 

 

Key Actions 

  • Establish externally benchmarked discipline-specific indicators of esteem which are embedded into UL’s promotions and incentivisation systems.   

  • Protect and facilitate time for research by implementing a work-load allocation model and academic timetable that prioritises research performance.  

  • Incentivise and reward research performance in a clear and comprehensive manner. Establish an incentivisation programme which supports researchers and strategic investments for research.  This will be enabled by a revised research overheads model.  

  • Establish an external university scientific advisory committee to inform our research ambitions.  

  • Identify professional supports for research and build into workforce planning as part of annual budgeting process.  

  • Review and optimise faculty-based supports for research.  

  • Enhance our research support functions across post-award, pre-award, compliance, communications, business development, research impact, Open Science, research IT and faculty supports.  

  • Invest in and streamline systems to enhance processes that support research.  

  • Embed the concept of supporting research performance into the review of divisional policies and processes.  

  • Resource research communications and embed research as a pillar of the UL marketing, communications and public affairs strategy.  

  • Enhance our external engagement reach with a greater focus on digital first channels and European networks to disseminate high profile research.  

  • Invest in communications training for our community with a particular focus on early career researchers and academics.