Research Groups and Research Group Leadership

Research groups are key drivers of research culture and excellence in our academic ecosystem.

Research groups are inclusive communities of academics, technicians, and postgraduate researchers who share broadly aligned research interests. They operate at a scale that fosters mutual support, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose and ambition which are key ingredients for delivering high-quality, impactful research.

A Research Group Leads Steering Group has been established to shape a programme of events and resources that meet the evolving needs of this research community and to support the University's ambition to foster a vibrant, fair, and inclusive research culture.

The Steering Group has established a set of Principles for High Performing, Inclusive Research Communities. These principles are designed to support high performance through inclusive and empowering leadership and community-building across our research ecosystem. The Principles are:

• Psychological Safety e.g. encouraging open discussion and respectful feedback
• Inclusive Engagement in Research Culture e.g. ensuring participation for PGRs and ECRS
• Collaborative Leadership e.g. shared leadership roles with ECRs
• Engaged Collaboration e.g. co-creating research questions with community partners
• Championing Researcher Career Development e.g. ensuring ECRs, PGRs and technical staff are supported to attend relevant events
• Adaptability and Improvement e.g. regular reflection on group practices and culture

To find the resources on Research Group Leadership, please follow Research Group Leadership: Mobilising Research Leads for Culture Change.

Find the principles for High Performing, Inclusive Research Communities here.

Please see our booklet for High Performing, Inclusive Research Communities here.