SEEing into the future?

1. SEEing into the future? Alan Murray

2. Aim of this session • Initial thoughts of a rookie HoS • Aim for transparency • If I head in a seemingly bizarre direction … • You need to know why • To tell me I’m wrong? • Or to follow my apparently-bizarre lead? • Everyone needs to understand the basic reasons for school decisions. • “Buy in” is essential • Please attend subsequent “briefings” Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

3. Agenda • Issues • Problems (primarily our *!?@ budget!) • Areas for change Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

4. Issues • Development of research • Development of teaching • School Management • Line management • Management of activities and issues • HR issues • Me as HoS … modus operandum? • External links/collaboration • The School’s image and ethos Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

5. Warning …This will be an AFM/SML/TB crusade! Development of research • Strengthen role of DoResearch • Development plan for RIs • Strengthen role of HoRI • Development plan for all academics • Part of the appraisal process • Particular issues • Interdisciplinarity • Funding … size of grants • Urgency … we need new activity NOW. Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

6. Fire Fire Safety Civil/Structural Electronics Mechanical Biomedical Materials Electrical Energy/Power Mechanical Chemical Interdisciplinarity is growing … Electronics Electrical Chemical Mechanical Materials Environmental Fire Civil/Structural Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

7. Almost 25% of school staff, no research income Research funding, 2008 Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

8. Almost 50% of school staff, grants <£50k Research funding, 2008 Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

9. Research – a personal view • Choose important topics/projects • Seek the funding that they need … • To do the work properly • Grants do not fail because of an extra £100k • NOW (don’t procrastinate) • Publish it in the “right” places • To disseminate results to the right people • THEN … • interdisciplinarity/collaboration, RAE/REF metrics, how much money? Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

10. Research – a personal view • If a project is refused … • Was it a bad idea? • Bin it. • Good idea, proposal criticised? • Improve, polish and get back in • As often as is necessary • One of the most important attributes of a successful research leader is … • PERSISTENCE Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

11. “Blue-sky” science and computation Modelling Experiment Design Technology Applications, patents, standards, spinouts Research focus and drive Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

12. Warning …This will be another AFM crusade! Warning …This will be yet another AFM crusade! Development of teaching • MSc courses • Fulfil societal/educational needs • As income-generation • PhD-student generation • More sustainable MScs • More flexible MSc offering (cf Informatics) • Undergraduate needs • More school-shared teaching • e.g. maths, computing/modelling • New courses • Sustainability/energy/environment? Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

13. interesting tension … crusade! Development of teaching • Undergraduate needs • Revision of syllabus • Start with Electrical/electronics • Meet professional requirements • New degree streams (eg bioengineering?) • New teaching methods • Clickers • Teaching studios • New forms of delivery • e.g. MEng/MSc – “research-reading”? • Improved feedback to students • Use of Turnitin - plagiarism Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

14. 5 years as HoS,then 5 years of normality! • I will remain research-active • Large, diverse research group • Growing, not shrinking • e.g. – neurons-on-silicon • Patent in progress • EPSRC (c£1.5M) early 2009, Platform renewal … • I will remain teaching-active • I love teaching (!) • Students need teaching • We must ALL contribute Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

15. 5 years as HoS,then 5 years of normality! • I will also continue to play my guitar • So … • New management structure • Delegation (DoT, DoR, HoRIs) • Cancelled outside (work) commitments • For now • Full use of the skills of our admin. team • I am an amateur administrator • they are professionals. Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

16. Management Committee College of Science and Engineering - Registrar Head of School Heads of Research Institute (5) Director of Teaching Director of Research School Admin Asst (incl PA to HoS) School Administrator Depute HoS Depute HoS Academic Staff (in 1 of 5 Institutes) ResearchStaff (in 1 of 5 Institutes) 4 Heads of Academic Discipline Head of Graduate School IT Services Manager Technical Services Manager *Research Support Supervisor (0.5) PGR Admini-strator Finance Admini-strator Teaching Organis. Admini-strator IT Services Staff Technical Staff Research Support Staff PGR staff FO staff TO staff Structures Reporting responsibility Working relationship Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

17. HoS “connection” with colleagues • HoS no longer appraises academics • Disconnected from research issues? • Disconnected from teaching issues? • Management by drinking coffee • I will visit individuals informally • Start with newer academics/support staff Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

18. External Links • Edinburgh Research Partnership (ERP) • Benefits (some stellar appointments) • Long-term costs, ?? long-term funding • ERP Phase#2 – pan-Scotland? • Inst. for System-Level Integration (ISLI) • Long-term funding? • MSc/Eng Doc/CPD courses? • Bio-engineering • Institute? Centre? • Supergen and other large projects? Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

19. SEE Income/Expenditure This is the reason for the 2008 budget position Other income? SEE/UoE 2008 2005-2006 MScsL NewMScs Student fees £3.4M £3.1M RAs, equipment … Research grants “Overheads” £6.5M £5.8M Raise SEE’sgame? Salaryon grants New Staff? £0.7M £5.5M(L) Pay AwardsJ New Staff J Shrink L Salaries … SFC Teaching money £4.9M £4.3M RAE? SFC Research money £3.2M Other spend … £1.0M Income: 3.4+0.7+4.3+3.2 → £6.3M (via a set of complex sums!) Expenditure: 4.9+1.0= £5.9M £5.9M is less than £6.3M(J) Income: 3.1+0.7+4.3+3.2 → £6.0M (via a set of complex sums!) Expenditure: 5.5+1.0= £6.5M £6.5M is more than £6.0M(L) Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

20. Budget hits, 2008 • MSc numbers (substantially) down • 2008-9 improvements J • New appointments – some very senior • Research not yet fully-established • One-off (large) lab setup costs • Some still to come in 2008-9 Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

21. Budget – we need … • New MScs • More ambitious research projects • PI salaries on research grants • i.e. 10% of Alan Murray etc. • Solid undergraduate numbers • Increased overseas student numbers • Retention of existing students Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

22. Budget – we need … • New activity from new (+old) colleagues • Overheads • PI salary costs • “QR” funding that accompanies new activity • Prof Snape, app. 2006 • £587k EPSRC, £323k other = £910k J • Prof Hagrid, app. 2007 • £1.6M EPSRC, £239 other = £1.8M J • Prof Dumbledore, app. some time ago • £2M EPSRC, as PI since 2006 J Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

23. Priorities • Balancing the budget L • Quality/volume/scope of research, teaching & KT J • People J Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

24. Some HoS dreams … • New degrees and courses • More students, more fun , more money • Therefore more of us as well • Politicians/economists/… who understand stuff • New “disruptive” (!) research • Bioelectronics/carbon capture … what next? • Grow support groups • Deeper involvement with school business • Research, teaching … raise quality/quantity of both • e.g. expand technical staff, growing research labs • Proposals must include tech. support Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

25. Things I like#1Stuff done on time and well • Exam questions correct and prompt • Also marking • Proposals well-written and timely • Support letters at zero notice ≠ high-quality • Delegated duties “owned” and done well • I will not micro-manage • Absence of internecine strife(!) • Strife=(TIMEwasted + ENERGYwasted + STRESS) Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

26. Things I like#2 Clear communication • Many things → HoRI/HoD first • Admin/finance → Bridgeen/Kathy/Caroline • HoS/DoT/DoR → strategy/policy • But - a HoS issue will get (HoS)x100% • Email is good for information exchange • very bad for debate/argument • Positive feedback of negativity L • No emotional/body language cues • cc’d emails potentially VERY dangerous • think before hitting “send” Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

27. Things I like#3 Full engagement with School/RI • We will try to minimise time-wasting • PLEASE attend meetings • Respond to requests • Work with the system, don’t fight itEWT • There are routes towards changes • e.g. Absence request system • Major legal/insurance problems if not used EWT – enormous waste of time And finally … what’s in a name? Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

28. Nice acronym (SEE) Unique to UoE? Adopted for not-very-good reasons Unbalanced Why single out Electronics? What about “Electrical” currents>100mA? Clumsy and verbose School ofEngineering & Electronics Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

29. Neat and tidy Acronym OK (SE) Might be mistaken for Scottish Enterprise! cf Cambridge Also cf some lesser places! cf old “Division of Engineering” Not very distinctive School ofEngineering? Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh

30. School ofEngineering Science(s)? • Concise • cf Oxford and Southampton • Acronym OK (SES) • Symmetry • Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences … • Distinctive and balanced • Engineering=Applications • Sciences=Fundamentals • Emphasises our USP* • Applications + the science that underpins them (*) Unique Selling Point Alan Murray – University of Edinburgh