Research Report to Council March 2010 Alastair Fitter PVC Research

UoY current position Strong performance in RAE2008 –7 th in UK for %4* - ‘world-leading’ –91% submission rate –>half depts in top 10; no seriously poor depts Other quality indicators: –research income/FTE (£73k; 3 rd in UK) –18 th in UK for TOTAL research income – not a small university Research environment highly rated in RAE –inter-disciplinarity –investments in research new centres, new labs, Heslington East investment in Humanities is distinctive –developing effective research support

Why successful? Excellent staff –Rigorous recruitment policies and practices –Attractive environment for research (and life) Research environment and culture –Highlighted by RAE: stronger result than for outputs –Mentoring, research leave, strong research culture Collegiality and inclusivity –UK leader in Athena Swan (women in science) –Policies on RAE submissions and ‘research-inactive’ staff Freedom for staff to develop own research career

The Changing Funding Environment Research Councils: currently 37% of UoY research income –Cuts likely: national success rates already ~15% (UoY higher) –Increased directive funding – larger quanta, collaborative research (only 14% of UoY income is from grants of >£2M) –Outcomes & Impact (RCUK) Government & Industry: 5% of UoY research income –Substantial cuts likely; greater emphasis on outcomes –Public-private partnerships: scale important EU: sustained, but less attractive financially Charities: increasingly important? –Wellcome move to investigator-led research International funding: may see growth

Full Economic Costing & QR Pressure on QR –Funding formula favours STEM – UoY has broad disciplinary base –Currently 10% of total UoY income –New formula (1:3:9 not 1:3:7) favours York –Future government commitment to dual support? FEC –Expectation that Universities use FEC to ensure sustainability: trade- off of FEC elements for research volume –Emerging RC view on well founded labs –Need for investment in research equipment

Research Excellence Framework (REF) REF = RAE (+ some metrics) New element is impact (replaces esteem) –Used in at least 5 senses: Impact factor – journal citations Impact plans – potential impact of research proposals Impact case studies – how REF will assess historical impact of research Implication of application/exploitation of research Common sense use –UoY position will depend on implementation –Current pilot (Physics, SPSW) Deadline 2013 (14? 15?) –Need to improve data gathering and monitoring –Implementing Research and Innovation Information System (RIIS)

Major change in Research Management − Accurate map of research capability and performance − Will draw data from existing UoY databases − Outputs and Impact Enhanced visibility of research staff − Facilitate inter-disciplinary research − Increase accessibility for business/public − Use data to populate web pages REF submission − Database will meet demands System from external supplier (Atira), hosted at York − Operational by Nov 2010 Research and Innovation Information System (RIIS)

Challenges Increasing emphasis on inter/multi-disciplinarity –Need for collaborative working, within and beyond UoY –Fits with existing UoY policies (IDCs, CLCF) How to sustain our broad disciplinary base? –Increasing focus on strategically significant research fields: health/medicine, food, energy/environment, security/development Replacing key staff –Reputation-builders nearing retirement –Essential to remain attractive and be able to appoint Maximising research quality – Relevance and novelty

York Environmental Sustainability Institute (YESI) New inter-departmental centre –Biology, Chemistry, Environment, Sociology, Politics, SPSW as main partners –Archaeology, Electronics, Computer Science, Law also involved –Business plan approved by Planning Cttee –Goal: maximise interactions among environmental researchers at York Pump-priming from VCIF –13 starter projects: all inter-departmental; seminars, visitors Director to be appointed shortly –New professorial post –See

New Research Strategy: Focus and Values Focus on individual researcher as the engine for research –Necessary but not sufficient –‘Researchers achieving personal goals’ right goals? right support? when to intervene? –Need to ensure performance –Strategic alignment of personal goals with institutional priorities Four ‘institutional values’: –Researchers should be able to achieve personal goals –A belief that research is a public good –Recognition of the potential of inter-disciplinary research –A strong link between teaching and research

New Research Strategy: Aspirations York recognised as one of the best places to undertake research, nationally and internationally Our research of the highest quality and of value to society A thriving community of international research visitors Quality of the physical environment commensurate with the quality of the work Low barriers to interaction, internally and externally

New Research Strategy: Objectives People: attract/retain staff of highest quality and ensure they operate effectively –attracting staff: reputation, research environment –retaining staff: workloads, career development, opportunities Support to staff, especially when newly appointed; effective administrative systems –pump-priming –grant applications –IT/library –balance of local and central support Facilities: high quality infrastructure –buildings, equipment, information systems

New Research Strategy: Objectives Collaboration: promote inter-disciplinarity & collaborations –inter-departmental centres –university networks (White Rose, N8) –international networks (WUN) –research visitors –non-HEI collaborations (industry, policy, practitioners, government) Training: thriving community of research students –funding, supervision, training –diversity of modes of study Engagement: exchange of knowledge with users and sponsors of research –marketing of strengths –communication of achievements – interactions with users, policy-makers, wider community

University Plan Themes Excellence: research management –Balancing individual researcher autonomy and institutional goals Role of Departmental Research Committees –How to ensure that research is of good quality research governance and research QA: ethics and good research practice Internationalisation: networks –Ensuring researchers see/ get benefits of international collaboration Inclusivity: maximising opportunity –Concordat for contract research staff, Athena Swan Good employment conditions – direct link to attracting and retaining staff –Reconciling interdisciplinarity and departmental autonomy? Inter-departmental research centres Sustainability: economic and environmental –Promoting research efficiency, including of facilities –New ways of doing research : virtual collaboration, low carbon research