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Sustaining the next generation of academics: role of research management Jose Jackson-Malete. SARIMA. Southern African Research & Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) - i n existence since 2001
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Sustaining the next generation of academics: role of research managementJose Jackson-Malete
SARIMA • Southern African Research & Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) - in existence since 2001 • Strengthening the research and innovation system to ensure that the R&I currently being implemented in Southern Africa is translated into relevancy and public benefit… to the sustainable social and economic development of the region. • Focus on advancement of R&I for development, professional development, best practice and policy • Exec Member responsible for African Partnerships in R&I Management
What can research managers do? • Creating a climate for the next generation to flourish and remain at African HEI’s • Strategic leadership for research – policies to support research • Appointment, review and promotion • Provide strong and structured support for research • Clear priority for doctoral students, early career academics • Remove red tape • Incentives for research
Challenges in HEI in Africa Source: CHET, 2010
Who are the next generation? Pipeline of the next generation at HEIs • Senior Undergraduate students • Graduate students • Early career academics
Challenges 1: Undergrad students • Little opportunity for undergraduates to participate in research as not all universities have mandatory research project courses or research internships for undergrads • Limited chance to develop interest in research as an undergraduate student
Challenges II: Grad students • Limited funding to provide tuition and research support for graduate students • Students enroll part-time • Completion dates extended • Little research skills developed
Challenges III: Early careers • Too many courses, large classes • Little incentives • No mentoring • No research planning • No direction in turning capacity into productivity • Sink or swim!
Sustaining next gen: Senior undergraduates • Talent identification / development programmes for senior undergrad students • Identify high-quality, challenging projects and recruit top quality interns to feed the talent pipeline • Get the very best candidates and can fully evaluate and identify any potential graduate students
Sustaining next gen: Graduate students • Policies and guidelines on graduate supervision as well as mandatory workshops for supervisors • Structured support programmes for graduate students and new supervisors • Responsible conduct of research • Intellectual property rights • Managing time and relationships • Thesis or Dissertation Writing Workshop • Planning, Managing, and Funding the Research Project • Developing Communication and Conflict Management Skills • Negotiation skills • Teaching / Research Assistantship programme developed
Sustaining next gen: African Doctoral Programmes models- Graduate students • University Science, Humanities and Engineering Partnerships In Africa (USHEPIA) at UCT - Develop science and engineering capacity in sub-Saharan Africa. • African Doctoral Academy of Stellenbosch University - Partnership for Africa's Next Generation of Academics (PANGeA) – partnership between SU and other African universities to expand the Academy in Africa. • African Globelics Doctoral Academy (AGDA) of the University of Nairobi - support the training of African PhD in science, technology and innovation for development
Sustaining next gen: African Doctoral Programmes - Graduate students • Review staff development programmes that take staff outside for their doctoral training • Use part of the funds to support full time doctoral students at home university with a research opportunity with an international university to learn new techniques, interact with other scholars etc
Sustaining next gen: early career academics • Workload allocation policy • Student to staff ratio • Specific time for research, teaching and engagement • Specific reference to early careers
Sustaining next gen: early career academics • Must develop a strong structured research development programme for early careers so they develop good research habits early on • Induction programme for new, early career academics • Research support for early career academics
Early Career Researchers Research Development Workshop Series at UB • Session 1: Importance of Mentoring in research • Session 2: Research Project Management • Session 3: Developing your research plan • Session 4: Getting promoted I: Key strategies for success • Session 5: Grant proposal writing • Session 6: Science Communication • Session 7: Presenting at meetings • Session 8: Identifying External Funding Opportunities (RA, cos.com) • Session 9: Manuscript preparation – Journal Quality & What do Editors look for? • Session 10: Negotiating international collaborations • Session 11: Getting promoted II: What is required • Session 12: Understanding Intellectual Property • Session 13: Responsible Authorship
WITS Research support for ECR • 'Structured support for Research Success' Programme was launched in 2007 to support academics at WITS • Year-long intervention • Mentoring and coaching is becoming a more common process
Sustaining next gen: early career academics • Incentives policy – must include financial and non-financial rewards • Research leave • Conference travel • Sabbatical leave • Research Awards • Start-up grants for early careers • Course release time • Supplementary salary from external grants • Reduced teaching load for new early careers • Overheads policy – key account
Who should sustain • Strategic leadership – DVCAA & DRIGS • Research support Offices • Graduate school • Foundation / Advancement Offices • Senior Academics • Research management associations – SARIMA, WARIMA and others • Government – must support research
Tensions • Researchers and Research Managers • Entrepreneurial researcher (consultant) and University • Non-disclosure • Valued but need to ensure that mostly scholarly work and pubs allowed • Applications for external grants • Institutional vs individual • Research Agreements • Signing off
For info, contact Jose Jackson-Malete, PhD Deputy Director, Research & Development University of Botswana Tel: +267-355-2903 / 2900 Fax: +267-395-7573 Email: maletej@mopipi.ub.bw UB Website: www.ub.bw/ord • VP Sub-Saharan African Partnerships, SARIMA • Website: www.sarima.co.za