Research excellence

Deep dives into university research practices around the world, including supervision, community engagement, funding and publication.

Exhortation does not achieve impact – it requires system design

Recognising universities’ quieter impact on society goes beyond publications. It requires people who capture evidence and narratives across education, student development, innovation and entrepreneurship and ecosystem development as well as research

Lily Kong

Singapore Management University

Researchers discuss experiments in a lab

Open research won’t slow your career down – it’s the smartest way to build it

Is open research a virtue that early career researchers can’t afford? Here’s how to make open practices work for you from your very first project – without adding hours to your week

Jesse Xiao

The Education University of Hong Kong

Scientists having a meeting in a laborator

A simple research laboratory protocol to yield better scientists

Lack of clear expectations among researchers who share a laboratory can waste time, erode trust and impede scientific progress. A universal agreement can make communication, collaboration and mutual respect a deliberate part of lab culture

Idriss Njike, Neil Garg

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Katy Börner talks about collaborative research on this week's podcast.

Campus Talks: Want to think bigger and achieve more? Then collaborate – an academic makes the case for collective research

A data visualisation expert talks about leading the global Human Reference Atlas initiative and how collaboration enables researchers to think far bigger

Katy Börner , Miranda Prynne

Indiana University Bloomington

Why the ‘lone wolf’ principal investigator no longer works in modern academia

Teams that integrate clinical insight and academic enquiry result in better academic outputs, increased researcher well-being and a sense of community and shared ownership

Zoë Walters, Tim Underwood

University of Southampton

Research participants sit together in a circle

Six questions researchers should ask before assigning pseudonyms

It might seem like a routine step in research but choosing participants’ pseudonyms can be an uncertain, unsettling process. Here’s how to approach it thoughtfully

Eileen Harkess-Murphy, Rachel Allen

University of the West of Scotland

How to advance collaboration in higher education

How to advance collaboration across higher education

Practical insights to support effective collaboration across research, teaching and the running of an institution

Campus contributors, Kiera O’Brien

Campus

Treat outreach as an integral part of the research process

Universities often frame outreach as something that happens after research is complete. But when knowledge transfer is left to the end, impact becomes an afterthought. Mike Gutter explains

Mike Gutter

Virginia Tech

Why diversity literacy is a research skill

As funders demand more inclusive and internationally collaborative projects, researchers and research managers need the skills to turn good intentions into meaningful practice, says Jakob Feldtfos Christensen

Jakob Feldtfos Christensen

Independent academic

What established academics can learn from technical staff

University research runs on the expertise of technicians, research software engineers, data stewards and core‑facility specialists. Treat them as strategic partners and your group’s quality, speed and compliance will improve

Ian D. Williams

University of Southampton

Effective outreach means translating research into action

Collaboration between research and extension in forest resources and environmental conservation offers a clear lesson for universities everywhere: knowledge matters most when it is communicated, trusted and applied

Shane Furze, Jennifer Gagnon

Virginia Tech

A student uses an AI tool on their phone while working

Why timing matters for research into students’ GenAI misuse

Research into GenAI-assisted cheating across disciplines may not be showing the whole picture. Here’s what researchers should be doing to make sure their work stays relevant when technology is moving so quickly

Sara Brownell, Benjamin G. Chan

Arizona State University

Academic collaboration isn’t automatic – here’s how to make it work

Effective collaboration in research and teaching practice requires more than goodwill. It depends on clear goals, shared contributions, project management, cultural awareness and space to raise concerns

Jonna Lee

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Muslim college-age female students in discussion

Rethinking how researchers can deliver preventive healthcare outreach

For community outreach to be effective, researchers need to listen to the target group, build trust and connect the health information they share to participants’ daily lives

Nadera Assim

University of Southampton

Product-to-market process concept illustration

Can a student idea become a real healthcare innovation?

Student innovation programmes produce promising ideas, but many stall during development. Here, PhD student Marianna Matányi draws on her experience of developing a smart medication dispenser to share advice for turning a student idea into a start-up

Marianna Matányi

Semmelweis University

Colleagues strategise around a whiteboard

Intent: the key to effective and efficient interdisciplinary collaboration

How to make your collaborative projects run smoothly? Plan for it, writes Alina Zare

Alina Zare

University of Florida

Latino female researcher taking notes in a laboratory

Shared effort for measurable impact: building sustainable labs through partnership

Concrete steps in the research lab can lead to larger-scale change when pursued in collaboration with university leaders

Shweta Biliya, Drew Cutright

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

I was an expert in my field. Then I became a beginner again

Bringing professional experience to postgraduate research can be an advantage, but it means approaching supervision in a different way. Find out how both sides of the partnership need to adjust

Artem Polulyakhov , Natalia Tsybuliak

Berdyansk State Pedagogical University

Broken citation or academic misconduct? How to spot the difference

Citation errors can come from people, tools or platforms. Here is a practical routine for checking suspicious references before assuming AI misuse, fake papers or misconduct

Faith Jeremiah

Lincoln University

Two people looking at code on a computer screen

Collaboration is a skill – here’s how to master it

With practical tools, early career researchers can build productive partnerships that advance their work and withstand the pressures of shrinking budgets and shifting priorities

Rodrigo Pena

Florida Atlantic University

Greener lab practices for higher education

Greener lab practices in higher education

Advice on how to make university laboratories more environmentally sustainable

Campus contributors, Kiera O’Brien

Campus

A vial of green liquid sits on a sheet of reaction formulas

Tips to integrate sustainability into day-to-day university lab practice

Sustainability doesn’t have to be a big project. Instead, make it a part of what science departments do daily, writes Deirdre Black

Deirdre Black

Royal Society of Chemistry

Female student looking through a microscope

Europe invests in research but underinvests in forming researchers

Europe has built an admirable research support system but there is one crucial stage that is overlooked – the early formation of researchers, writes Adam Kola. He offers examples from his own institution on how to address this

Adam Kola

Nicolaus Copernicus University

A close-up of a lab worker looking through a microscope

Turning research sustainability from a tick-box exercise into ‘the way we work’

Sustainability can feel like yet another task for busy researchers. Here are ways to make greener research practices easier – and more memorable

Andrea Hodgetts, Caitlin Broadbent, Hong Zhang

UCL

A scientist stands in a greenhouse with a tablet

Environmental researchers know the impact of AI – so why do they still use it?

Academics are increasingly using AI for research, despite being aware of its environmental footprint. But is it their fault – and what can be done?

Sarah Hartley, Emily Robinson, Mayra Rodriguez

The University of Exeter

Two masked scientists fillin test tubes in a lab

From experiment to impact: reducing waste in teaching labs, part 2

How to move beyond basic waste reduction to teaching students responsible decision-making in experimental work

Rebecca L. Jones, Sara Thayammal, Fatema Khatun, Roberta Stinga

Imperial College London

Rethinking the process of patient and public involvement

To get a full picture of the impact of PPI, would it be better to focus on improving the process of involving people in health research as well as measuring outcomes?

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

A group of students conducting an experiment in a lab

From experiment to impact: reducing waste in teaching labs, part 1

From cleaning glassware to choosing cooling systems, learn how small teaching interventions can help students experiment more sustainably

Rebecca L. Jones, Sara Thayammal, Fatema Khatun, Roberta Stinga

Imperial College London

The hidden environmental cost of cold storage in laboratories

Ultra-low-temperature freezers in laboratories can use as much energy as two UK households per year. Here’s how to make cold storage as efficient as possible

Marcelo Salierno

King’s College London

Greener labs don’t need bigger budgets – just better habits

When it comes to improving green practices across a university’s laboratories, meaningful change doesn’t always require major investment or new infrastructure. Small but intentional practices can yield substantial results

Autumn Timpano

Virginia Tech

Look beyond commercialisation to a wider landscape of impact

Instead of seeing commercialisation as an entrepreneurial activity, let’s look at it as part of a broader picture of the value research creates

Andy Phippen, Louise Rutt

Bournemouth University, University of Plymouth

Interdisciplinary research cultures are inclusive, not competitive

Research that crosses disciplines strengthens networks, diversifies expertise and moves thinking beyond inherited boundaries, but effective interdisciplinarity takes time, curiosity and willingness to tackle cultural and structural obstacles

Valentina Cardo, Claire Clarkin , Ingrid Slade

University of Southampton

Transgender disabled woman talking to a researcher with a laptop

How intersectionality impacts research with LGBTQ+ communities

In designing and conducting studies that involve members of LGBTQ+ communities, researchers need to recognise the diversity and complexity of participants’ experiences. Here are seven ways to apply an intersectional approach for better research

Emerson Zerafa-Payne , Mackenzie Rubens, James A. Fowler

The University of Southern Queensland

A group of research participants sitting in a circle

A trauma-informed approach to research

Practical strategies for researchers engaging with trauma-related issues and participants with experience of trauma

Helen Anne Nolan, Vicky Panossian

The University of Warwick

A man reads a book between the aisles of a university library

Making public work count in academia

Practical advice for universities and departments that want to begin including public work meaningfully in hiring, tenure and promotion standards

David Perry

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

How to articulate a clear identity for university libraries – and why it matters

In the digital era, the identity of the library has become blurred. Here’s how to emphasise its distinctiveness, writes John Cox

John Cox

University of Galway

A female professor at her laptop in the library

Safeguards against GenAI hallucination in literature reviews

Generative AI can speed up literature reviews, but it can also produce convincing false references. Learn practical strategies to help researchers use AI tools while keeping their work anchored in real, verifiable research

Jie Zhang, Lili Jiu, Yi Luo

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Distorted reflection of a man walking in the street

How AI is quietly distorting academic enquiry – and what to do about it

If students rely on AI summaries as starting points – or substitutes for enquiry – they risk bypassing the processes higher education is designed to cultivate: comparison, evaluation and critical analysis. Cayce Myers offers solutions

Cayce Myers

Virginia Tech

Academics discuss around a meeting table

Build a teaching and learning research network from the ground up

Early career educators can find support in teaching and learning scholarship through a community of practice. Here’s how

Paul Chesterton

Teesside University

Four ways to strengthen the PGR community and sense of belonging

The doctoral experience doesn’t have to be isolated. Here, Maisha Islam and Natasha Palmer share four recommendations to enable an inclusive, collaborative research culture and communities for postgraduate researchers

Maisha Islam , Natasha Palmer

University of Southampton

Why universities should be turned upside down

Reversing the flow of knowledge – so students, rather than established professors, drive enquiry – could help the next generation of scholars prepare society, and themselves, for the future, writes Robert Gibbs

Robert Gibbs

University of Toronto

Ashutosh Chilkoti speaks on the Campus Talks podcast

Campus Talks: Where research meets enterprise – lessons from a successful spin-out founder

Learn about the journey from academic researcher to entrepreneur and what it takes to launch a successful spin-out company, from a serial founder

Ashutosh Chilkoti, Miranda Prynne

Duke University

An academic career is rarely a straight line

A scientist’s path can include studying abroad, experience in industry, research and teaching as well as setbacks and uncertainty. Here, Kinga Vörös offers reflections as an early career neuroscientist and why the journey is most meaningful when research reaches patients

Kinga Vörös

Semmelweis University

Young researcher making a business pitch

What you need to know about securing investment for your spin out

Venture capitalists are ‘completely different beasts’ to grant bodies so academic founders need to embrace a new style of pitching if they are to secure funding for their companies, as Tim Witney explains

Tim Witney

King’s College London

A woman starts her business plan on a whiteboard

Write a business plan for a university spin-out company

Looking to secure investment for your spin-out? Find out how to write a business plan that ticks every box

Robert Crammond

University of the West of Scotland

A step-by-step guide to commercialising your research

A step-by-step guide to commercialising your research

Practical insight on how to take your discoveries from research laboratory to marketplace

Campus contributors, Kiera O’Brien

Campus

From lab to market – part 2: writing a business plan

In the second part of this two-part series on finding investment for research commercialisation, here’s how to build a business plan

Eirini Epitropaki

Birkbeck, University of London

Scientists discuss a project with an investor in the lab

From lab to market – part 1: finding investment

In the first part of this two-part series on investment and business planning for research spin-out companies, discover all you need to know about attracting venture capital

Eirini Epitropaki

Birkbeck, University of London

red paper airplane leaving line of white paper airplanes

Academia can never be ‘just a job’ (and why that is OK)

The uncomfortable truth is that academia doesn’t conform to the regular nine-to-five, and pretending otherwise will not fix working conditions that are broken, argues Sorin Krammer

Sorin M. S. Krammer

University of Southampton

Understand the motivations involved in research-policy exchange

The rush to expand policy engagement without understanding the goals for each side risks creating structures and processes that work for no one. Here’s how to understand each other better

Christina Boswell

Royal Society of Edinburgh

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