CHORUS
A Concept of Collaboration and a Tale of Togetherness
Alison McCleery – Convenor, Universities Scotland
Research Training Sub-Committee and
Director of Research Strategy
at
Universities Scotland
Singing in CHORUS
Cross-sector generic skills support for Scotland’s researchers
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
What is CHORUS?
A proposal for a
• collaborative HUB of opportunities for
researchers in Scottish universities
which
• responds to the challenge of embedding the
Roberts concept efficiently & effectively and
• sings from the same song sheet across the
diverse HE research landscape in Scotland
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry 2012
Scottish HE Research Collaboration
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Research competitiveness through collaboration
SFC/SG promotion of Scottish research excellence
Excellent precedent of doing research via pooling
ESRC DTC Scotland / Scottish Graduate School
Appetite for sector-wide generic skills training too
KE, PE and Impact now all-important for the REF
KE Step Change Pilot Project won THE 2010 Award
US research training sub-committee ideal vehicle
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
The Duty of Care to Researchers
The researchers: ECRs are the research leaders
of tomorrow to whom we owe a duty of care
The requirement: ECRs must make a real world
impact and be capacity built in order to do so
The rationale: initial investment in personal gain
translates in turn into delivery of public good
The reach: A sector-wide approach to delivery
produces essential cross-fertilisation of ideas
as well as desirable economies of scale
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
The KE Step Change Exemplar
What: to translate research into impact through
a cross-sector culture change across the
cohort of ECRs
How: by changing the researcher mindset so
that KE is perceived as a core element of the
‘normal’ research portfolio
Why: to instil attributes of openness, flexibility
and adaptability and so make an impact
beyond the academy
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
Engaging Experiences
• Across discipline boundaries: opportunities
for semi-structured encounters between
ECRs from a range of disciplines
• Across sector boundaries: opportunities for
formal and informal encounters by ECRs
with entrepreneurs and innovators
• Across institutional boundaries: opportunities
for exploring key national institutions and
analysing their inter-linked functions
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
Something for Everyone
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
Something from Everyone:
Genuine Collaboration
Coordinated by Universities Scotland & funded
by Scottish Funding Council with buy-in from:
• Scotland’s HEIs (all in it together!)
• Scottish Government
• RSE & NESTA
• Key enterprise stakeholders
A ‘step change’ for KE; a key change for HE?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – build on it!!
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
What did the participants say?
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‘Life-changing’
‘Worthwhile but time-consuming’
‘Worthwhile and thought provoking’
‘No magic answer ... just confidence and a
prepared approach’
• ‘If it makes sense, then we can do it – maybe!’
A development opportunity worth investing in for
its career-enhancing, capacity-building potential
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
Building
on Scottish
Successsay?
What
did the
participants
• By offering distinctive added value
building capacity collaboratively
• By responding to social and economic needs
enhancing pgr/ecr employability (1 in 8)
• By tackling sector and societal challenges
promoting equality & diversity
• By securing high-level sector buy-in for an
expanded but optional initiative
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
Projected CHORUS outcomes
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Systematic, enduring engagement between employers and research organisations,
focused on ensuring the supply of high level skills for the Scottish economy;
A resource base of exemplars of good practice in developing the employability of
researchers;
Enhanced employability for all researchers participating in CHORUS projects;
Substantial progress in ensuring equality and diversity in research careers, within and
beyond academic institutions;
Significant efficiencies in researcher development, enabling both sustainability and
future investment to extend and enhance provision;
Researcher development which is fully embedded within research leadership,
management and performance as a key contribution to research excellence;
A streamlined researcher development landscape within Scotland, combining strategic
leadership and practitioner support;
Substantial enhancements to Scotland’s brand reputation for excellence in research,
attested by external quality assurance and REF performance
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
From Rhetoric to Reality
• Strategic Barriers
– political, institutional, financial, definitional
• Operational Challenges
– too little, too late; or too much, too soon?
• Difficult Dilemmas
– driven by excellence, or by economy & efficiency
• Sensible Solutions
– consult, communicate, compromise, complete
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
CHORUS Status Report
• SFC R & KE Committee
– content with a previous version
• US R & KE Committee
– content in principle but not yet in practice
• SFC Investment Committee
– yet to be approached and convinced
• Writing team
– needing to communicate, consult and compromise
– at risk of fracturing along predictable fault lines
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
CHORUS Next Steps
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Keep calm and carry on
Collaborate and compete locally
Collaborate to compete globally
Don’t cut off your nose ...
Remember the ESRC DTC
Communicate and consult widely
If at first you don’t succeed ...
Watch this space!
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012
Thank you
for your attention
Any questions?
Universities Scotland
Singing in CHORUS
Cross-sector generic skills support for Scotland’s researchers
Alison McCleery MURG Spring Conference
Coventry March 2012