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Managing Research Projects

Managing Research Projects

Balance Career Development with Development for the Role

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Researchers must receive the training and skills development that is necessary for undertaking project-related tasks. However, it is also important to remember that many research staff, especially early career researchers, will not be able to have a long-term career in research, whether they want to or not. This means that most UK-based early career researchers will move institutions or make a subtle or even drastic change in career direction after working on the project. So, for researchers, particularly early career researchers, it is very important that they can also undertake some development in line with their future career direction.

The ideal is to find a situation where your needs as research team leader coincide with the needs of the researcher. For example, if the researcher is keen to develop their networks (to aid them with their future career direction) and asking them to deputise for you at a national meeting gives you more time to finish your research bid, then the course of action seems clear!

Sometimes members of the research team may request training and development that cannot be provided within the context of the project. Many institutions now offer a range of ‘free’ training and development opportunities for researchers to access. However, sometimes researchers may request a specialised workshop or course that cannot be funded from within the project budget. The challenge for the research team leader can be to deal with the dissatisfaction of the researcher whose non-essential request for training off the job cannot be met, alongside the satisfaction of a researcher whose project specific training need can be fulfilled. Clarity of communication on the justification for training is key to managing this kind of situation.

Another approach is to consider what opportunities there are for on-the-job, as opposed to off-the-job training. On-the-job training, coaching and mentoring can all be cost effective methods of offering researchers opportunities to develop, while still ensuring that project deadlines and objectives are met. Yet another approach is to allow researchers a set number of days per year for off-the-job training and to include within this provision for career development opportunities. It’s likely that any time lost to the project will be more than repaid by increased levels of motivation and commitment on their return!

Some research team leaders have developed strategies for funding ‘off project’ days.

Providing career development opportunities for researchers may sometimes feel alien to part of your role as research team leader, because you feel that your primary responsibility is to deliver the research, to time and to budget. This requires that you retain your research team and keep them focused on the project. However, supporting the professional development of research staff sometimes requires you to be unselfish and to acknowledge the long term needs of the researcher as well as those of the project.

For example,

X, he wasn’t that good as an academic – he had a 2.2 but was phenomenally good at computers – so I sent him on a computer course – I offered him any course he’d like to go on. He did and organised the project. He went on to become a Business Manager in criminal defence solicitor’s firm. The project involved collecting data from 80 firms across the country and by the end he knew more about organising a solicitors’ firm. He’s left business management and is doing an MBA now. His role was an information manager. That was his strength and he’s taken those skills.’ (Interviewee, MRP Project, 2006)

It is important to remember that researchers will inevitably have two main questions uppermost in their mind.

  • ‘How will this project develop my career?’
  • ‘When do I need to think about my next step?’

As research team leader you can either ignore this or you can build it in to your management of the research team. By offering researchers the opportunity to develop both project specific skills as well as the opportunity to develop their CVs, you are more likely to see increased motivation and commitment from researchers, both of which are vital to successful completion of the project.

professional development