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Focus 3 — Expanding research capacityAddressing deficiencies in infrastructure and staffing early in the change processcan be a morale raising start, especially if the gaps can be filled quickly and with amodest injection of funds. While these early gains provide the executive leader withcredibility across the university, building capacity to new levels to support a major liftin research productivity and orientation requires a lot more direction.In a resource-limited environment this requires innovative solutions. The role of theexecutive leader typically includes identifying new ways of expanding institutionalcapacity to support the vision and plan, and generating a sense of optimism todevelop commitment to the change agenda. Increasing research capacity stimulatesa benign cycle of increasing the level of research activities that in turn should attracthigh calibre researchers and students. It has the effect of becoming self-reinforcingas academics, students, and granting bodies change their perceptions about whatthe university can offer.52 A handbook for executive leadership of research development
Principle 5. Build on current strengthsRealising an ambitious vision for research begins with selection of existing areasof strength and concentration of effort and resources to build them up. One ofthe strongest messages from successful executive leaders of research is to startwith what you have. This includes not just the current crop of researchers, but alsoareas of strength in teaching, aspects of the student profile, social and geographicadvantages, and established partnerships and community links of various kinds.“Every institution has good people – youneed to send a signal to individualsthat their work is valued and that theyhave opportunities, and that they will besupported. While it’s useful to bring in newpeople you haven’t necessarily created agroup of people they can work with.”The executive leader needs to get astrong sense from the senior leadersabout what the university, facultiesand departments are known for andgood at. Perhaps the most significantpart of the role, however, is thehigh level strategic thinking andpositioning that is required to helpsenior leaders create developmental opportunities for themselves. These primarilyinvolve collaborations, prudent exploitation of research funding programs, andinternational connections in their respective fields, including the recruitment andsupervision of research students.Selection of existing areas of strength and concentration of effort and resources tobuild them up to a level of excellence seems straightforward enough, but in orderto be effective it must be achieved with rigour, sensitivity and imagination. A usefulpiece of advice from a variety of sources is that it is easy to get carried away inproducing a highly logical plan for capacity building relying on prediction, goalsetting, hierarchical structures and top-down strategy. Hard headed assessments ofperformance and potential have to be made, and misplaced sentiment avoided.Habit and custom can be the enemies of this process, as can an ill-founded sense ofentitlement among established but under-performing researchers.What it means in practiceConcentrate resources in areas with potential for developmentSenior executives will typically be no strangers to pragmatism — and its value will beapparent in defining the trajectory for change. It is important to support and developthe highest quality research in areas that are already successful or that have obviousFocus 3 — Expanding research capacity53
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A HANDBOOK FORExecutiveleadershipof
Page 4 and 5:
A publication of the Centre for Lea
Page 7 and 8: ForewordDuring a period of signific
Page 9 and 10: AcknowledgmentsThis handbook was co
Page 11 and 12: IntroductionThis handbook is a sour
Page 13 and 14: Executive leadership of researchA c
Page 15 and 16: The principles and elements are app
Page 17 and 18: A background briefing on the eviden
Page 19 and 20: By far the best background or envir
Page 21 and 22: • clear goals that serve a coordi
Page 23 and 24: 2. Leadership, management and acade
Page 25 and 26: in relation to the environment cond
Page 27 and 28: Table 1. HR strategies to grow rese
Page 29 and 30: incentives to undertake research (i
Page 31 and 32: Principles and elements25
Page 33 and 34: Principle 1. Create a compelling vi
Page 35 and 36: concrete and tangible form that fit
Page 37 and 38: Compile a vision statement that exc
Page 39 and 40: Principle 2. Provide clear coordina
Page 41 and 42: Universities that make a significan
Page 43 and 44: REVITALISING PRODUCTIVITYDeakin Uni
Page 45 and 46: Principle 3. Create a competitive e
Page 47 and 48: across disciplines. This is particu
Page 49 and 50: the initial period of adjustment an
Page 51 and 52: Principle 4. Devolve leadership of
Page 53 and 54: The continuity of the leadership gr
Page 55 and 56: Recognise and reward research leade
Page 57: CREATING A CULTURE WHERE EVERYONE T
Page 61 and 62: A core task of the executive leader
Page 63 and 64: The executive leader needs to help
Page 65 and 66: LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS WITHSTRATEGI
Page 67 and 68: Principle 6. Invest in research inf
Page 69 and 70: markedly to find core staff —at c
Page 71 and 72: Focus 3 — Expanding research capa
Page 73 and 74: Principle 7. Focus appointment and
Page 75 and 76: establishes precedents that confirm
Page 77 and 78: BECOMING A SELECTIVELY RESEARCH-INT
Page 79 and 80: Principle 8. Invest in early career
Page 81 and 82: central support for building resear
Page 83 and 84: BUILDING ON STRENGTHSUniversity of
Page 85 and 86: Principle 9. Provide direction for
Page 87 and 88: strategy that meets best practice s
Page 89 and 90: is that they are there to help stud
Page 91 and 92: Principle 10. Strengthen the alignm
Page 93 and 94: and practices have often evolved ov
Page 95 and 96: There are a number of practical thi
Page 97 and 98: Kenna, R. & Berche, B. (2011). Crit
Page 99: About the authorsCraig McInnis is a
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