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Everything you need for each step
Skills every research manager needs From creating an inclusive research culture to landing funding bids
Part-coach, part-CFO, part-wizard, a research manager’s responsibilities are broad, but essential to the business of academic discovery. From managing a diverse team of researchers and communicating results to taking risks for the sake of innovation, a research manager needs a strong skillset to be successful. Delve into this collection of resources offering advice on people management, communication, applying for funding and knowing what to do when research goes wrong – and when it goes right.
Copyright © 2025 THE - Times Higher Education. All rights reserved. How to drive change in a research group , part one : Using McKinsey ’ s 7 - S framework
Embracing change is vital for research groups that want to make an impact , writes Daniel Moraru . Here , he outlines ways to do this while aligning with shared values that ensure consistency
Managing professional jealousy : navigating challenges and fostering growth
Self - awareness , self - improvement , gratitude , open communication and a growth mindset can help you tackle inevitable encounters …
Advice for effective cross - team collaboration for research
Research teams that might not usually work together are increasingly required to collaborate . Here , Rob Kadel offers five …
Professors who ‘ practise what they preach ’ help humanise research …
There is a need in academia for professors to match teaching and research with professional practice – and be fairly …
Running a diverse team is harder work – but the rewards are immense
John Womersley managed more than 50 nationalities on a € 3 billion science project . Here , he reflects on the experience and gives tips on getting the most out of a diverse team
How to engage your staff in just 15 minutes
You need to get updates and other messages to faculty and staff , but they don ’ t have much time for internal communications . Here , Kelly Hibbs offers tips to reach a busy audience in a quick , engaging , accessible way
How to lose a grant in 10 ways
Want your funding application to be rejected ? Have we got some advice for you . But , seriously , don ’ t do these things and you …
Devolved research funding in universities – a counter - narrative
Unfunded research could paradoxically add value to an institution ’ s output , profile and impact . Rosalind Edwards asks what …
How to add value to research and manage intellectual property
Ensuring new knowledge has social , environmental or economic impact is an essential element of research – and of …
A guide to writing grant proposals
To write a successful grant proposal , academics need to focus on the relevant details that will help sell their research idea to the reviewer and this requires a shift of mindset , as Kaycie Butler explains
Love and money : why the search for funding is like romance
Funding is a relationship of sorts . You and your research project funder will enter into a finite symbiosis . It ’ s a joyful , exciting , uncomfortable and occasionally scary co - dependency , writes Laura Berrisford
Shifting landscapes of social media data for research
What can researchers do in light of changes to social media platforms ’ APIs that reduce and monetise access to data ? In this …
How to strengthen your metacognitive skills to collaborate effectively with AI
To follow their previous piece on why metacognition is crucial for collaborating with Generative AI , Sidra and Claire Mason reveal …
Breaking academic barriers : large language models and the future of search
The true potential of generative AI and large language models remains underexplored in academia . These technologies may offer …
Three ways to leverage ChatGPT and other generative AI in research
A guide to three key uses of generative AI tools like ChatGPT in developing and enhancing research
Adapt , evolve , elevate : ChatGPT is calling for interdisciplinary action
Our response to ChatGPT and its successors should be one that encourages open , interdisciplinary discourse and supports research investigating AI from every angle
Questions to foster open and engaging research communication
Each stage of a research project comes with questions about what information to share and with whom . Richard Holliman offers …
No one agrees on what research leadership is , let alone how to do it …
The academy has no common idea of what research leadership really is , why it ’ s important or what good practice looks like . …
What does ‘ strengthen research capacity ’ actually mean , and how can …
Leaders of research consortia face a difficult task in carrying out research and improving research capacity , but embedding a specialist …
A vision for graduate supervision
Supervising graduate students is a responsibility and skill that goes far beyond the mere transmission of knowledge , as Daniel Jutras explains
To improve research culture , we must change the way we measure performance
Jo Cresswell explains how universities can support more collaborative cultures by changing the way academics are reviewed , assessed and rewarded
HARKing forward : an argument for a polarising research practice
Hypothesising ( or proposing ) after results are known is seen as going against scientific principles . Here , however , Yehuda …
How can PhD researchers be supported to complete an …
How universities can best support PhD researchers who wish to produce alternative format theses , based on a review of …
Universities and academics need to make space for ‘ useless ’ research
The academic race for short - term results and practical applications must be balanced with research that can , in due time , become …
It ’ s high time we rethought policy impact
The frameworks currently in use for rewarding policy impact are peppered with problems and pitfalls – here ’ s how to fix them , says Christina Boswell
How to enhance your chances of serendipitous research discoveries
Five approaches that will help researchers prepare for and make the most of serendipitous opportunities
Tips for effectively communicating your research ’ s impact
Finding ways to communicate the impact of your research can sometimes be a hurdle . Here , Lyn R . Keith outlines effective …
Five steps for engaging policymakers with research
Five pointers to help researchers get policymakers interested in their work , based on a guide co - created by government and …
How do you leap from research lab to Silicon Valley start - up ?
The good news is that times of turmoil are ideal for innovation – and far more skills are transferable from bench to IPO than you might …
So what ? Who cares ? The skill of talking about impact
Darcey Gillie explains the importance of talking about impact in higher education and offers practical steps on how to do it
Dealing with abuse after public commentary
Communicating to the public can result in abuse of academics . Here , University of Southampton staff describe their experiences and provide tips on anticipating and dealing with trolling
