Research support
The Research Office
The Research Office is responsible for providing support, advice and guidance to academic staff within SED in the management, development and diversification of their research and consultancy activity as part of the School's overall strategy.
The Research Office is managed by our Research Development Administrator Debra Whitehead (debra.whitehead@manchester.ac.uk), who is supported by two Research and Consultancy Project Administrators, an Events and Development Administrator, a Research and Consultancy Projects Assistant, one Research Secretary. The Research Development Administrator is also responsible for the management of administrative staff who support the daily activities of externally funded Research Centres within the School.
The Research Office's key support objectives are: of any research idea
Pre Award
- Provision of funding intelligence to the academic community
- Liaison with sponsors to improve bid targeting and success rates
- Support with preparation and submission of research funding applications
- provision of FEC costings
- form validation
- support and advice regarding J-ES system
- liaison with external partners in joint projects
- Support with preparation of consultancy contracts
- budget preparation
- pricing advice
- Risk assessment
Post Award
- Liaison with sponsors to ensure acceptance of awards
- Ethical screening
- In liaison with Finance: supporting account creation, expenditure monitoring and reporting, invoicing for consultancy projects
- Liaison with Contracts Office to provide contractual paperwork for new awards and subcontracts
- Support with project administration (orders, travel booking)
- Recruitment of Research Assistance and contract management
- Management of award transfers
Research Centres
- Support with recruitment and management of administrative staff
- Provision of clerical support
The Research Office is also responsible for
- Research Committee: agenda setting, organisation, minute taking
- Sabbatical Committee: agenda setting, organisation, minute taking
- SED Research Ethics Committee: organisation, minute taking
- Research Centres Forum: agenda setting, organisation, minute taking
- Conference organisation
- Seminar/workshop series support
- Administration of School/University internal funding schemes
Induction of new staff and good practice
All new academics are invited to a half day induction session where they are informed of the support available to them from the Research Office. They are also given good practice coaching and the Research Office is working hard, in conjunction with the Research Committee, to promote good practice regarding external bid submission. This primarily lays in the promotion and formalisation of peer review for junior academics and high value bids, to ensure that they benefit from the success of senior academics within the School. New academics are also given coaching in the School's methods for ensuring the high quality and timely submission of bids, for example: the setting of internal deadlines.
Support for cross disciplinary activity
The Research Office encourages cross disciplinary activity and ensures that academics within the School are kept abreast of relevant activity in other Schools and Faculties within the University, and externally.
Planning and Strategy
The Research Office ensures that the Research Committee and Head of School are provided with quarterly updates regarding applications and awards data. This key management information feeds into the planning and strategy process for the School's Research and Consultancy key performance indicators (KPIs).