LDC FUNDING FOR RESEARCH ACTIVE STAFF NETWORKS
APPLICATION FORM
PART A
Details:
Name: Dr Vanessa Goodship
Dept: WMG
Purpose / Objective of the Research Staff Network:
This is a continuation of an existing network activity, the WMG Researcher Forum, and will support
the voluntary meeting activities of 40+ researchers as WMG expands activity. The WMG Forum has
continued to develop with LDC funding, is written into WMG Athena SWAN action plans, and now
acts as a community hub for sharing of ideas, practice and knowledge exchange around research
activities. It has stimulated a number of spin out activities around its central core such as a research
mentoring scheme and journal club, and this request is to provide continued support for just a part
of our activities.
Details of the Skills/ Development Activity(ies) (Max 500 words):
The first activity we would like to continue to support with this funding is the monthly breakfast
meeting. This is a popular and now very well established part of our activities. While we have
opened these out to researchers from other departments, and will continue to do so, it should be
noted that so far this offer has not been taken up. (To cover 10 meetings until July 2013)
The second and third activities we would like to support are the piloting of two ‘hot-house’ internal
schemes aimed to focus on ‘Leadership’ and ‘Brainstorming’. These are specifically to focus on two
key academic skills of creativity and leadership, and use real-life highly strategic WMG problems for
the small team hot-house to work on. This is complimentary too rather than in competition with any
existing LDC provision, has the full support of WMG management, and it is hoped that researchers
strong in these areas can not only help their peers, but also have an outlet to demonstrate their
synergistic skills outside of normal line management demands. These will be held bi-monthly
(alternatively) as either an evening or lunch time session to volunteer participants. (5 meetings
each)
Date of your activity/event(s), if known: regular monthly events (dates TBC )
If you have a website, please give the URL:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/intranet/research/researcherforum/
Please state which events will be open to other University of Warwick research staff: All breakfast
sessions will continue to be open. For catering, email confirmation of attendance is requested.
Pilot scheme hot-house sessions are closed to external participants.
Is this a new network or existing network?
Existing
Scope/ Evaluation / Impact of activity(ies) proposed
(Please give us an estimate of the numbers of staff who will be involved and an indication of how you will measure the impact of the
activity/activities. If you intend to follow up the activity by disseminating information, or using the outcomes to support other staff
development activities, please also let us know this)
There is a cohort of 40+ researchers + other research active staff.
How do you plan to let research staff know about your events/meetings?
Email and website (and word of mouth) is our established practice.
How do you plan to share the learning / best practice with other University of Warwick Research
Staff Networks?
At WMG we are happy to share and other networks are always invited to our events. We will
contribute a case study on the growth of WMG Forum as a deliverable of this proposal. We are also
currently considering publishing some of our learning in the International Journal for Researcher
Development. We have an on-going commitment to Researcher Development, so all activity impacts
on our future developmental plans and speeds up our own departmental learning curve activity.
What is the benefit of your activity/activities to:

The University
Researcher development is becoming a more and more important issue. For example how
the concordat is implemented feeds into the REF. Showing Warwick is a key player in such
activities as this one, enhances the status of Warwick.

Your department/organisation
The continued focus on CPD keeps WMG staff up to date in their methods and practices,
allows an environment of support and learning to become embedded into working practice
and benefits the department in terms of staff welfare, collegiality, performance and research
output. For the hot-houses we can assess impact in terms of results and effect on
individuals with feedback after each session end . More broadly we will be considering the
developmental stages and signposts for ‘leaders’ and ‘creatives’ within a contract research
context.

Research agenda
All the underpinning activities we do in the forum to encourage staff to develop themselves,
to help fulfil their potential. This feeds directly into the research agenda as improved
performance in this context can only benefit the quality of research output and the future
employability of our researchers.
Total amount of funding requested:
£ 800
Breakdown of funding requested (approximate):
£ 800 (10 x breakfast sessions and 10 x hot house sessions)
It should be noted that this will not cover full costs. The applicant will seek supplementary funding to
cover extra costs through internal (departmental) and external (industrial) contributions.