Jeanette Woolard

January 22, 2025, by Rob Ounsworth

Research culture: looking forward to further progress

Research and knowledge exchange update from Professor Jeanette Woolard

Welcome to our university’s first research and knowledge exchange update of 2025. Happy new year!

This is also my first blog as Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Researcher Academy and Research Culture Development.

My remit includes delivery of a key pillar of our research strategy – helping our researchers develop and achieve excellence in a supportive environment. I am delighted to share news of progress in this area.

Research culture action plan

Our summary research culture and knowledge exchange action plan has been approved by the Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee. It sets out the actions in support of our goal of becoming a sector-leading environment for all those who conduct or support research.

The full action plan surveys almost 400 activities, made possible by the contributions of hundreds of colleagues across the university. The action plan captures our commitment to ensuring everyone who carries out or supports research at Nottingham feels this is a welcoming, inclusive place where everyone feels fully supported in achieving excellence.

We recognise there’s much to do but by creating a culture of inclusion and support, the University of Nottingham aims to set an example for institutions nationwide, while being better prepared for the next Research Excellence Framework in 2029 and the challenges ahead.

Work such as the improving the researcher experience project is making a making a tangible difference along the research lifecycle, from planning to project closure.

The action plan includes a review and refresh of the academic promotion pathway to ensure we reward contributions focused on leadership, citizenship and KE, as well as research excellence. It also:

Builds on the strong foundations of support already created in the Early Career and Senior Leader space, with a focus on support and development opportunities for mid-career staff, including the Research Leadership Accelerator Programme.

Aims to develop a comprehensive ecosystem for staff learning and a one-stop-shop tool for easy access to learning resources.

Explores workload modelling to ensure that research staff have time and opportunity to develop their research outputs.

Places fairness and equity at the heart of all this activity, aligning to our Athena Swan Gold status, Race Equality Charter and the new Disability Equality Action Plan.

Please look out for further updates on the research and knowledge exchange culture SharePoint.

Return to research programme

A new initiative to support researchers and research-enabling staff (including Technical and APM) returning to work after extended leave underlines the university’s commitment to an inclusive, vibrant culture for RKE. Return to Research provides targeted funding and support for staff aiming to re-establish their research careers following significant breaks for parental leave, caregiving responsibilities, or long-term illness.

The programme is focused on research in its broadest sense, including knowledge exchange. It aims to mitigate the career impact of extended leave, particularly for women and other underrepresented groups, by offering up to £10,000 each to fund activities that will help regain momentum in their academic careers.

I am delighted that the Return to Research programme will provide researchers and colleagues who support the delivery of research with access to funding to support them to re-establish their career trajectory. It is a bold step forward, ensuring that talent is not lost to the challenges of balancing life and a fulfilling university career.

Career precarity project

REC-HURDLES, a £1m Wellcome Trust-funded project, aims to have further positive impact on our RKE culture by changing the experiences of those engaged in conducting, supporting and enabling research.

The team is:

Reviewing fixed-term contracts and their impact across all levels and role types

Planning trials of new employment models: We will identify existing best practices, both within our sector and internally, and evaluate their potential to reduce contract precarity. By 2026 we will have co-created pilot models with staff and have a plan for roll out

Expanding career support

Targeting offers for underrepresented people. Grant funding includes additional resource for approximately 30 underrepresented people from any staff group. This provides an individualised training program where ordinary provision isn’t suitable.

Research Culture Conference

Such initiatives and further opportunities will be explored at the Research Culture Conference, which takes place 9am to 4pm, Tuesday 24 June, at Jubilee Campus. Programme and registration details are to follow. Please save the date and I look forward to seeing you there.

Future Nottingham and research

An excellent culture for research will help deliver the core objectives of Future Nottingham and our vision for being the best we can be in RKE, education and the student experience.

Future Nottingham’s strategic case for change has been approved by Council, so we can move forward with plans for the programme. For RKE, this means significantly enhancing the research environment at UoN, ensuring it remains capable of delivering world-class innovation, improving research outputs and ensuring we are competitive, agile and well-prepared for emerging opportunities.

Prioritising areas of research excellence, enhancing internal collaborations and developing interdisciplinary research groupings that align with funding opportunities are all highlighted. Enhancing international partnerships to broaden the impact of research and attract global talent to the university is also a priority. Future Nottingham further aims to improve our ability to deliver excellence by strengthening research support services and through an operational overhaul to empower you to focus more on research activities.

Celebrating RKE events

Professor Tom Rodden, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for RKE, and Vice-Chancellor Professor Jane Norman are hosting a new series of quarterly events to celebrate the achievements of colleagues working in research and knowledge exchange and impact.

The 90-minute receptions, taking place in March, June and October, will provide an opportunity to celebrate successes, build on interdisciplinary connections and provide opportunities to grow relationships.

PVCS and APVCs  will soon be asked to nominate individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their work, whether through impactful research, notable publications, or success in achieving grants, building collaborations to develop grants,  awards and funding. Nominations from faculties  are also invited for those who have supported research or have made significant contributions to the university’s mission.

Research growth networks launched

Two new interdisciplinary research growth networks have been launched, with further networking and idea generation events planned for 2025.

The Climate and Health, and Health Inequalities and Communications networks each have about 80 members from all five faculties – and it’s not too late to join.

The other three Research Growth themes are Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Science and Technology, and Security and Resilience.

For more information about research growth, including the Big Ideas call, please contact Claire Edwards or Adam Golberg or visit the Research Growth SharePoint site.

Knowledge exchange and engagement

I’m pleased to share some excellent recent examples of KE. At Lakeside Arts, art and science come together to celebrate the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Cosmic Titans is curated by black holes researcher Professor Silke Weinfurtner and Dr Ulrike Kuchner, Senior Researcher in Astronomy and Art-Science collaborations in the School of Physics, with the support of Professor Helen Kennedy and the Virtual and Immersive Production Studio.

And Professor Maiken Umbach is working with the UK’s National Holocaust Museum  to launch a new international touring exhibition, marking Holocaust Memorial Day 2025. The Vicious Circle  featuring five giant video structures and an explosive ‘single moment of destruction’ to explore critical thinking and challenge misconceptions that fuel anti-Jewish racism.

MP visits spinout company

Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Transport and Labour MP for Nottingham South, Lilian Greenwood, visited University of Nottingham spin-out Terra Motion, based at the Ingenuity Centre on Jubilee Campus. Terra Motion specialises in providing crucial data on ground stability and natural hazards for property transactions, insurance, and infrastructure projects. Its expertise spans risks from peat shrinkage and soft soils to monitoring the environmental impact on pipelines, roads and railways.

Ms Greenwood met George Rice, Director of Knowledge Exchange and Business Engagement  as part of a broader effort to highlight how the university is driving local growth by supporting cutting-edge research and fostering the development of spin-out companies like Terra Motion.

IPCO team helps take innovation to real-world application

R&I’s Intellectual Property and Commercialisation team have kicked off the new year with two successful licensing and commercialisation deals that will enhance the performance of specialist equipment used for scientific research.

The university has signed a new licensing agreement that will enable a growing UK company, Photonics Technologies, to manufacture an advanced laser device which will facilitate the in-depth study of atoms and molecules.

The team has also helped establish the spin-out company Medical Photonics Ltd to exploit expertise in using photonic sensors in equipment healthcare, environmental monitoring, food quality assessment, and veterinary testing. The company has been founded by Professors Steve Morgan, Barrie Hayes-Gill, and Serhiy Korposh and Doctor Ricardo Correia from the Faculty of Engineering, alongside external chairperson David Whelan and clinician Dr Andrew Norris.

UniCore update

We recognise that UniCore continues to cause frustration – and are mindful that backlogs and glitches are causing real headaches. Such difficulties are acutely felt in areas – such as research – where the delivery of projects is time-critical and multiple stakeholders are often involved.

These teething problems are being addressed as a matter of urgency, with actions to resolve issues on reporting and monitoring, coding, and recruitment. R&I is keeping faculties informed on actions to identify and resolve issues, highlighting support and receiving feedback to inform future improvements to the system.

Please visit the UniCore pages for updates, resources and support.

Contacts for UniCore research support

We are all learning the ropes and your patience and goodwill will help us overcome hurdles in delivering an integrated system that works better for everybody.

Congratulations, Tom

Finally, I would like to add my congratulations to Professor Tom Rodden on his CBE, awarded in the King’s New Year Honours. To quote our Vice-Chancellor Professor Jane Norman: “It is a richly deserved award, recognising Tom’s achievements not only his own area of research in Computer Science, but also in his work to deliver the university’s ambitious research strategy.”

With thanks for your support and best wishes. I look forward to working with you to develop Nottingham as an excellent place to deliver research, where our people thrive.

Professor Jeanette Woolard
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Researcher Academy and Research Culture Development

 

 

 

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