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Managing Research Projects

Managing Research Projects

What is Proffessional Development and why is it important?

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Professional development for research staff may often be seen as a `luxury’ given the often short and pressured project deadlines and given that many members of the research team may be employed on fixed-term contracts. However, development can have a far-reaching impact on the happiness and motivation of research staff, on the outcomes of the project and on the reputation of the research team leader.

The Pros of Providing Professional Development for Research Staff

Training and development can help researchers to improve their skills, enabling them to undertake project tasks more effectively or more efficiently, or both.  This, in turn, can improve the project outcomes and lead to an enhanced reputation and profile for the research team leader as well as the group and the institution. This can contribute to an increased ability to attract research funding and to attract and recruit the best researchers.

Giving the researchers opportunities to develop new skills can increase motivation and enable the team as a whole to fill skills gaps and therefore perform more effectively. Mid-career researchers, especially, may value the opportunity to develop new skills or take on new challenges as a means of overcoming the potential frustration of feeling 'stuck' at the top of their salary scale.  Herzberg argued that employees can be more motivated by the opportunity for challenge within their job role than they are by financial reward, although, as Maslow demonstrated, this holds true provided they can earn enough to fulfil their basic requirements.

Being aware of researchers' longer term career goals can also be helpful as it enables the research team leader to assign more relevant activities to the individual or to give access to challenges or training that will also provide dividends in the future. All of this helps to motivate the researcher and to secure their commitment to the project and the research team leader.

The Cons of Providing Professional Development for Research Staff     

Taking a share in the responsibility for the development of research staff can seem onerous, especially if you have a large project team, or if it is dispersed over several institutions or even countries. It also requires you to consider the answers to several key questions, each of which will be addressed in detail in the associated resources.

  • Isn’t it the line managers’ responsibility to develop their staff?
  • How do you balance career development with development required to undertake the role?
  • How do you find out what development they need?
  • What sorts of development opportunities can you provide?
  • What scope of professional development should you take responsibility for?
  • What about your own professional development?

professional development