Research Strategy

Introduction

This Strategic Plan for Research forms part of an overall, broadly based Institutional Strategic Plan. Within its five-year term 2009-2014, some elements of the plan will operate on a shorter, sometimes annual, cycle. Research is defined as the full range of scholarly activity that includes pure, applied and policy-oriented, as well as action research; it encompasses individual as well as team-based and collaborative research; and it includes funded as well as unfunded research.

Vision Statement

Mary Immaculate College will be a recognised research-intensive HEI within its core fields of Education and Liberal Arts, with a strong practitioner focus.

Purpose of the Research Strategy

• To establish the conditions for the development of a national reputation for MIC as a leading centre for research within specialist fields in Primary Education and Arts
• To establish research management systems that recognize and support success in research
• To embed and sustain an active research culture that respects academic freedom, fosters high achievement, encourages innovation and contributes to teaching excellence
• To increase the attractiveness and standing of MIC as having a reputation for high quality academic research of practical benefit to undergraduate and postgraduate stakeholders

Strategic Goals and Associated Actions

Identify, support and reward excellence and achievement in research.

Actions:

• Explore ways of increasing the time available for research, including timetabling, workload modelling, review of teaching practice, and more use of Research and Teaching Assistants.
• Review of the current study leave system, to establish a new system of opportunities for defined programmes of research work with identifiable research outcomes.
• Ensure new and replacement academic staff appointments will focus on research excellence, and provide particular support to newly appointed staff in their early years.
• Establish systems to incentivise and recognise staff success in research.
• Increase the number of externally-funded research appointments and develop a plan to seek funding for sponsored/endowed Chairs.

Ensure that the College has effective leadership, planning and information systems in support of research.

Actions:

• Review the infrastructure for the support of research through information on funding sources, support for proposal preparation, support for costing proposals, tracking of bids; the administration of awarded projects and project management support; the exploitation of research through knowledge transfer and spin outs.
• Develop survey systems for the collection of research data and staff activities.
• Agree and introduce Personal Research Plans (PRPs) and Departmental Research Plans (DRPs).
• Define key performance indicators for research within PRPs/DRPs i.e. measures of input (e.g. funding applied / obtained); activities (e.g. innovations, new centres); output (e.g. publications, PGRs) and impact (e.g. citations, policy impacts, PGR graduations).
• Ensure consistency between College and PRP / DRP research plans and improve information flows to/from College Research Directorate.
• Ensure that the College benchmarks itself against national and international standards.

Increase per capita research support and improve the recovery of direct and indirect costs of research funded by external sponsors

Actions:

• Establish clear guidelines for the submission and costing of research proposals
• Ensure that expert guidance and training is provided to enable staff to maximise the returns from their research activities
• Provide electronic templates with in-built standard data to aid grant submission

Establish direction and priorities for cross-disciplinary research

Actions:

• Review current level of activity in, and identify impediments to, the development of cross-disciplinary research.
• Develop a plan for the support of cross-disciplinary research studentships
• Promote the creation of a number of multidisciplinary research seminar series

Increase the number of postgraduate research students and further integrate doctoral, post-doctoral, and contract researchers into the College community

Actions:

• Develop and differentiate postgraduate degrees further
• Review College procedures for the allocation of PGR awards (Scholarships, studentships, assistantships)
• Explore benefits of establishing a Graduate School
• Review the roles and responsibilities of PGRs with a view to enhancing career path opportunities and improving integration into the College community
• Encourage and facilitate the socialisation of postgraduate students into a research culture by supporting students to engage with researchers in other HEIs
• Explore the possibilities for providing core methods courses for research degree students in collaboration with other HEIs through a Structured Ph.D programme

Foster research collaborations with other HEIs, public sector and statutory bodies, employers, and commercial partners

Actions:

• Support the development of collaborative research links with other HEIs and national/ international networks of partners to achieve critical mass in targeted areas
• Explore mechanisms to encourage more Visiting Scholars and Visiting Professors to MIC and to encourage MIC staff to take up such appointments elsewhere

Promote the status and recognition of MIC as a research-active college

Actions:

• Actively promote and support the participation of MIC in collaborative bids for national and international research funding through instruments such as the PRTLI and the EU’s Framework Seven (FP7)
• Develop a small number of “flagship” initiatives attracting substantial funding
• Increase engagement with “key committees” external to the College, nationally and internationally (e.g. Teaching Council, NCCA, IRCHSS, RIA panels)
• Review mechanisms for highlighting MIC research
• Provide administrative and other support for staff members and departments to host national and international research conferences and colloquia at MIC
• Develop a marketing and recruitment strategy for research students