handbook-executive-leadership-of-research-development-pdf-v10

BECOMING A SELECTIVELY RESEARCH-INTENSIVE UNIVERSITYQueensland University of TechnologyUnderlying the QUT research and innovation agenda for change was the consciousdecision to improve its research performance not just incrementally, but rapidly toa higher level as a ‘selectively research-intensive university’. The objective is widelyunderstood and clearly shapes the thinking of research leaders at all levels. It wasagreed that the University had to have a real sense of the direction it was taking witha strong guiding framework and an opportunistic and targeted approach. QUTdecided to make some immediate major changes beginning with a ‘reframing of itsresearch activities as a contribution to creating new knowledge’.Senior executive identified 39 specific areas for attention and promoted the valueof interdisciplinary research. The next task was getting alignment of all the elementsin place so that systemic obstacles did not undermine decisions about researchdevelopment. Targeting individuals and providing them with support was important,but so too was the need to gain the buy in of heads of schools, and also to recruitheads of schools from the kinds of institutions QUT aspired to be.The University has taken a cohort approach to recruitment, for example, advertising50 positions with a supporting structured induction program. This enabled a richnessto be exploited from putting these people together and adding value by opening upopportunities for multi-disciplinary approaches to research. Capacity building hasincluded maximising the research and research training capability of individual staff,and fostering early career researchers by linking their research development to facultyor University-wide research programs.The Early Career Academic Recruitment and Development (ECARD) Program is amajor element of the strategic approach of QUT’s research and innovation agenda.It is targeted at newly appointed academics with less than four years experience andprovides them with a range of opportunities to build their academic careers. It hasbecome a highly effective scheme to attract talented young academics to join QUTas well as retaining those already working at the University. The two-year programincludes the provision of start-up funds of $15,000 for each ECARD participant,$5,000 of which must be spent directly on research activities. The program providesadvice on grant writing skills in the context of QUT’s research and teaching priorities,support for research, teaching and community engagement, and assistance indeveloping networks and interdisciplinary collaborations with colleagues in otherparts of the University and beyond.Focus 4 — Developing a research-oriented workforce71