Advisers as strategic partners for researchers
Competition for EU funding is fiercer than ever, and which research projects are awarded funding is often determined by the smallest of margins. In response to this development, we are seeing a clear trend across the EU, whereby research support is evolving from being primarily an administrative function to serving as a strategic partner for researchers.
This was a consistent theme at the annual EARMA conference for research group leaders and administrators from across the EU, which staff the Research Support Office and the Kitchen attended.
EARMA (European Association of Research Managers and Administrators) is the leading European network for professionals working in the administration, leadership and support of research and innovation. Around 1,800 participants from all over the world gathered in Utrecht this year under the theme “Empowering Research Managers and Administrators as Leaders for Impact”. More than 200 presentations provided inspiration for models of collaboration between researchers and research advisers, effective advisory processes, an early focus on impact, targeted initiatives to improve success rates and other topics.
Current trends suggest that the research adviser of the future will both provide administrative support for projects and actively contribute to the institution’s strategic objectives and the societal value of research.
How we are evolving our services
At the Research Support Office, we are actively working to develop our services in this direction through training programmes that strengthen our advisers’ role as strategic partners for researchers. Our goal is to develop more robust processes, closer collaboration and ultimately, better research proposals with a greater chance of success. It’s also a question of providing support for the quality of research, innovation and societal impact right from the beginning of the application process.
“At the Research Support Unit, our core responsibility is to deliver relevant value-adding advice and support to AU’s research groups. Fulfilling this responsibility requires a continuous commitment to development, ensuring that our services remain aligned with both an evolving funding landscape and AU’s changing needs. We must maintain a forward-looking perspective, take a holistic approach and ensure that our efforts consistently support Aarhus University’s strategic ambitions.” (Na Ree Sørensen, Head of the Research Support Office).
Proactive guidance
The role of the adviser is thus becoming more proactive and somewhat more strategic.
What this proactivity means for researchers is that they can expect expert guidance from the very beginning and help to identify opportunities at an early stage. And strategic means relevant and timely, not ‘abstract’.
In addition, we are constantly taking steps to improve coordination with other administrative functions at AU, like the Kitchen, HR, Finance, the Research Data Office and TTO. There’s still a lot we can do to make it easier to be a researcher at AU.
“When we’re coordinated across the various points of contact that researchers need for their applications and projects, hopefully researchers feel that they get the help they need when they need it. But we’re also aware that this is something we have to work at doing better every day. (Na Ree Sørensen, Head of the Research Support Office).