25/02/2008 - Managing Critical Mass Research Activities and Centres
The purpose of this event is to examine critical mass research centre models and to compare and contrast the different approaches and lessons learned. In particular, this event will focus on key issues associated with directing and managing a large research activity.
Overview
This one-day event will focus on lessons-learned and effective practices associated with directing and managing large research initiatives. In particular, the focus will be on centre models which involve many researchers from multiple disciplines, multiple departments and multiple institutions who worked alongside other stakeholders.UK examples will include CMI's Knowledge Integration Communities (KICs) and research centres funded by the EPSRC, BBSRC and Wellcome Trust.We will also have lessons and examples from the US, as well as highlights from a recent study of centre activities from around the world.
CMI Knowledge Integration Communities
CMI KICs, for example the Silent Aircraft Initiative (see photo), centred on collaborative research teams at Cambridge and MIT; they also included participants at other universities in the UK and strong industrial partnerships.The goal of the CMI KICs was to bring together an integrated community of all the participants needed to address a ‘grand challenge’ – a research problem of a scale and complexity that needed a multidisciplinary team of stakeholders.
Silent Aircraft Initiative - SAX 40
Participants
This event is being organised by the Cambridge-MIT Partnership Programme (CMPP), and is designed for an invited audience from the Government, funding agencies, university officials, academic researchers, representatives of industry and other stakeholders.
It should be of particular interest to a number of key constituencies:
Officials from research funding agencies responsible for “critical mass” funding programmes and who are interested in comparing and contrasting their activities with similar national initiatives, in particular sharing lessons learned and effective practices regarding the management of large research activities;
Directors of new research centres or academics considering putting together large, complex research programmes who are interested in benefitng from lessons learned;
Pro Vice-Chancellors for Research and representatives of University Research Services offices responsible for supporting researchers engaged in critical mass activities.
Agenda
Speakers included directors of critical mass research activities who shared their experiences of effective approaches to building communities of university researchers and other stakeholders to tackle science or technology “grand challenges”. Key issues addressed included effective administrative structures; ramp-up; sharing the centre’s vision and building its brand and; how multi-campus activities feel part of a single team.
09:00 Arrival and Coffee
09:30 Welcome & Overview
Professor Mike Gregory, Executive Director Cambridge-MIT Partnership Programme (CMPP)
Dr Eoin O'Sullivan, Programme Director CMPP
09:45 SESSION 1: Models of Large Scale Research Centres(Chair: Mike Gregory,CMPP)
In this session we heard from UK and US funding agencies on the different “centre models” and the high-level lessons learned. Please click on each speaker's name to see their presentation.
Bruce Kramer, Engineering Research Centers Program, US National Science Foundation; will provide examples to illustrate how the structure of a centre programme can be configured to encourage productivity at various points along the research spectrum;
Lesley Thompson, Director Research and Innovation, EPSRC; will explore recent ways and results of funding different types of large research activities;
Colin Miles, Head Molecular Cell Biology, BBSRC; will present examples of BBSRC supported centres, in particular, the Centres for Structural Biology.
11:10Coffee
11:40 SESSION 2a: Centre Director “Case Studies" (Chair: Alicia Greated,Associate Director of Research,AHRC)
In these two sessions centre directors discussed their experiences of managing large research centres and activities. To view the presentations, please click on the speaker's name.
Professor Dame Ann Dowling (CMI KIC) Silent Aircraft Initiative, University of Cambridge; discussed lessons learned from leading the SAI Knowledge Integration Community (KIC) and compared her experiences of this and other forms of industry/academia collaboration.
Professor Nigel Shadbolt (EPSRC IRC) Advanced Knowledge Technologies, University of Southampton; reviewed the lessons learned and achievements of the AKT, a six year programme of research between five universities. He discussed the challenges and advantages in running a long-term, critical mass research initiative.
Professor Jim Swindall OBE (I/UCRC) QUESTOR & QUILL, Qeens University Belfast; illustrated with examples the process of setting up and running an I/UCRC. He discussed the issues associated with directing a research centre: managing the relationship with the University; recruiting centre members; sustainability and overheads.
12:45Lunch
14:00 SESSION 2b: Centre Director "Case Studies" (Andrew Watkinson,Director of the virtualTyndall Centre)
Professor Douglas Kell (EPSRC/BBSRC Systems Biology Centre) Centre for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Manchester; described the genesis of the MCISB, its locatioin in the MIB and why he believes it has been successful in delivering considerable added value.
Professor Anthony Monaco (Wellcome Trust Centre) Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford; discussed the importance of setting up core research groups for key technical, scientific and analysis functions to meet the multi-disciplinary platforms required by individual researchers in their own disease-focussed programmes.
This session focused on the importance of multi-disciplinary, multi-partner collaborative research to the future of UK science & engineering, as well as reflecting on some of the key themes and lessons that arose during the workshop. Panel members included:
