Pioneering Past and Bright of Impactful Research and Scholarly Achievements

“EXCELLENCE THROUGH KNOWLEDGE” P A G E 14 Definition of Research Management Key Research Management Functions According to the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), “research management comprises a distinct suite of activities separate from the conduct of research itself.” The literature also notes that “research management and administration have developed in line with the trends affecting research itself, which has seen growth in scale, complexity, and management burden.” Further underscoring the important role of research managers, the EuropeanCommissiondescribed the profession as a “critical enabler” of its research and innovation goals, which are directed at achieving growth, impact, and sustainability. Because this is an important consideration that underscores the relevance and utility of research, the “pathways to impact” of the various research activities included in this publication have been highlighted. As set out in the Research Managers’ Notebook compiled by Research Africa, key research management functions include: 1. Shaping institutional research strategies (understanding the global research environment and developing systems to nurture the next generation of researchers in one’s institution); 2. Project development (scouting for funding opportunities and appropriate networks, be aware of funding do’s and don’ts, assist with funding applications, budgets and progress reports); 3. Project management (managing the legalities of contracts, setting up systems that support and streamline grant management, monitoring progress of projects, financial expenditure and reporting, protecting intellectual property); 4. Public engagement (highlighting the extent and nature of one’s institution’s research work, ensuring the effective dissemination of research findings); 5. Policy and governance (driving policies on research and processes around ethics); 6. Enhance research collaborations (be a hub of expertise on sound partnership practices; facilitating intellectual property management and appropriate technology transfer).