Browsing by Author "Kerridge, Simon"
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- Professionals at the interface of science: is there more than meets the eye?Publication . Santos, José M.R.C.A.; Varela, Carolina; Kerridge, SimonThe increasing professionalisation, mixed profiles, and institutional formal recognition of research managers and administrators (RMAs), namely at higher education institutions, has led to an increasing but modest volume of academic studies focused on their professional identity, roles, functions and impact. Based on an extensive literature review, the authors suggest however that current definitions for RMAs miss, or at least do not explicitly address, a crucial part of the research and innovation systems worldwide: the research managers, administrators, communicators, and technicians that work at research funding and policy agencies. It is the authors’ opinion that RMAs working at research funding and policy agencies should be addressed as an intrinsic part of the global community as they provide a unique perspective of the overall research and innovation system. They are in fact a missing link in the RMA ecosystem that needs to be addressed for a holistic evolution of contemporary and future research and innovation systems.
- Where Do RMAs Work?Publication . Santos, José M.R.C.A.; Varela, Carolina; Kerridge, Simon; Fischer, MelindaIn this chapter, we will explore where Research Management and Administrators (RMAs) work, in terms of the types of organisations and their structures. While the majority of RMAs work in research-performing organisations (RPOs), such as universities, research institutes and hospitals, some work in other related organisations, such as research funders, think tanks and consultancy firms (non-RPOs). These different working contexts will be critically analysed in light of previous studies, and data collected through surveys and interviews. Quotes will be used to illustrate different professional settings. The interviewees selected derive from two world regions (USA and Europe) to understand the different challenges and settings associated with the diverse research ecosystems that each region represents. Finally, major conclusions and recommendations will be highlighted.
- Who are the professionals at the interface of science working at research funding, science policy making, and similar organisations?Publication . Santos, José M.R.C.A.; Varela, Carolina; Kerridge, SimonThe scientific endeavour involves not only those working in research performing organisations-but also those in science funding, policy making, and think tank organisations, among others. The workforce in all these entities is composed of researchers, policy decision makers, managers, administrators, technicians, and other supporting staff. Within this community, professionals working at the interface of science (PIoSs) can be defined as those working in the research management and administration (RMA) domain, including varied areas such as science strategy and policy support, research funding procurement, project management, facilities management, communication and dissemination, knowledge and technology transfer, valorisation and impact, and related areas. Researchers have been often studied, namely regarding their job satisfaction, entrepreneurial spirit, and migration patterns. However, the PIoS community has seldom been studied, with only a few reports existing, for example on their profile and roles. Specifically, the PIoS community working at non-research performing organisations has not been explicitly addressed in the literature. This paper reports on the results of an ongoing project aimed at studying the profiles, roles, and functions of PIoSs working at organisations such as research funders, policy makers, and think tanks. The corresponding specificities of these professionals are highlighted and their involvement in professional associations is addressed. It is argued that they are intrinsically part of the wider PIoS (often called RMA) profession and that their full engagement in this community would benefit these individuals and the research and innovation ecosystem at large.