Boundary-spanning work often creates significant value for research, institutions, policy, industry, communities, and wider society. However, this work can sometimes feel difficult to articulate, evidence, or position within institutional systems that still prioritise more traditional academic markers of success. This collection of discussion resources explores how externally-facing and engagement-focused work can become more visible, valued, and sustainable. It focuses on building influence, evidencing contribution, understanding institutional systems, and developing ways to communicate the value of boundary-spanning work more clearly and strategically. This guide is designed for peer-facilitated discussion. There is no expert facilitator in the room. Everyone participates as an equal, taking shared responsibility for holding the structure, time, and quality of the conversation. Our Peer Discussion Guides Find out more about our Peer Discussion Guides and how you can use them to help you get more from our established researcher resources.
Peer Discussion Guide: Navigating expectations & protecting your capacity
Boundary-spanning work can create exciting opportunities, meaningful collaborations, and broader impact. It can also involve balancing competing expectations, navigating ambiguity, managing invisible labour, and sustaining multiple relationships simultaneously. Many of the challenges in collaborative work arise not from lack of goodwill, but from unclear assumptions about purpose, capacity, roles, communication, ownership, and ways of working. This collection of discussion resources focuses on how to create collaborations and stakeholder relationships that are clearer, more reciprocal, and more sustainable, both for yourself and for the people you work with. This guide is designed for peer-facilitated discussion. There is no expert facilitator in the room. Everyone participates as an equal, taking shared responsibility for holding the structure, time, and quality of the conversation. Our Peer Discussion Guides Find out more about our Peer Discussion Guides and how you can use them to help you get more from our established researcher resources.
Adapt your leadership style according to project phase and team
Note: This article requires access via HBR or an institutional library subscription. This classic Harvard Business Review article by Daniel Goleman draws on research with nearly 4,000 leaders to identify six distinct leadership styles and, crucially, the conditions under which each is most and least effective. Although written for a business audience, its framework translates directly to the research context, where the same researcher may need to lead a bid development team, manage a large multi-site delivery team, mentor an early career researcher, and navigate a difficult partner relationship – often within the same project lifecycle. The article’s central argument is that leadership style is not a fixed personality trait but a deliberate choice, and that the most effective leaders notice, and switch between styles fluidly as circumstances demand. “Research is a team sport. Be clear whether your greatest contribution is as the ‘star striker’ or the ‘coach,’ and align your role accordingly.” Nick Plant, Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, University of Leeds. Read more from Nick. For those leading research, four styles are especially worth developing: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Thinking about your current or most recent project, which leadership style did you default to? …
Understand what drives performance in distributed project teams
This Deloitte Insights article draws on survey research to identify what most strongly predicts team effectiveness in distributed, digitally-mediated working environments. Although written for a broad organisational audience, its findings translate directly to the research context: researchers leading time-limited, multi-site projects who need to assemble and sustain productive teams across institutional boundaries. The research is particularly valuable because it moves beyond assumptions about tools and technology to identify the relational factors that most reliably determine whether distributed teams succeed or struggle. The article’s central finding is striking – whether a team member has strong digital skills or access to good employer-provided tools matters less than whether they are part of a well-functioning team. For those leading complex, multi-institutional projects this reframes the challenge: the priority is building the conditions for team effectiveness, not just getting the logistics right. Three factors are identified as critical: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: In your current or next project team, what would need to be true for every member to feel safe raising a problem or admitting they don’t know how to do something — and how would you create that condition across institutional boundaries?
Make interdisciplinary collaborative projects more explicit, practical, and workable
This paper by Patel et al. offers a concise and practical introduction to starting collaborative projects across disciplines. It is especially useful because it focuses on the early design choices that often determine whether interdisciplinary work succeeds: building the team, assigning roles and responsibilities, agreeing ground rules, discussing authorship, and creating the conditions for trust and psychological safety. For established researchers – who are often at the point of convening interdisciplinary work rather than simply participating in it – the paper gives a clear basis for thinking through the practical mechanics of collaboration, rather than treating interdisciplinarity as an abstract aspiration. What will you take forward? One thing to try: Notice where in your current collaboration there are assumptions about roles, language, or authorship still implicit rather than properly discussed. Make a commitment to raise them at your next meeting, or arrange a review of how things are going.
Build collaborations that allow projects to scale up without fragmentation
This practical guide to big team science by Baumgartner HA et al. is particularly helpful for researchers beginning to work in larger collaborations that need more deliberate leadership than a small project team. It addresses issues such as leadership, governance, team design, communication, decision-making, collaborative writing, and infrastructure. For established researchers stepping into more flexible leadership positions, the value of the guide is that it treats leadership as a set of practices rather than simply a formal role, helping you create structures that allow collaboration to scale up without becoming fragmented. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Which part of your current leadership approach would need to change if your project team doubled in size or complexity over the next year?
Learn from real stories of external engagement and impact
The Research Adventure Podcast shares interviews with university researchers and research-adjacent professionals who have turned research into real-world outcomes through routes such as industry partnerships, spinouts, licensing, and social enterprise. It’s useful as “on-demand mentoring”: short, concrete stories that surface what works (and what doesn’t) when collaborating beyond the university. The podcast is helpful because it: “Networking with others has helped me find a sense of belonging and camaraderie.” Saniya Rabbani, Lecturer and Talking Therapies Clinical Tutor, University of Sheffield. Read more from Saniya. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Which single capability do you most need to strengthen right now, and which episode will you use to explore one small change in your approach?
Ensure your external-facing work is recognised, using the Knowledge Exchange Concordat
Principle 6 of the KE Concordat (which it is likely your HEI will have signed) focuses on recognition and rewards: universities should recognise and reward staff and students who deliver high-quality knowledge exchange. For people doing extensive partner-facing work, this is a useful lever because it points to accepted good practice for recognition including: Reviews of institutional action plans have found Principle 6 is often self-scored lower than other principles – suggesting recognition/reward is a common development gap for institutions. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: How visible is the KE Concordat in your institution? In what ways is principle 6 supported and how might you use the expectations of principle 6 to ensure your KE work is recognised? “Audit your workload. Deprioritise service that is low in visibility or misaligned with progression.” Jiao Ji, Lecturer in Finance, University of Sheffield. Read more from Jiao.
Strengthen your public and policy engagement using curated tools and guidance
If you are looking to improve the quality and impact of your engagement work, there are two complementary hubs that bring together trusted tools, frameworks, and guidance from across the UK landscape. These are particularly useful when you want both practical “how to” support and help navigating which approaches best fit your context. The National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) resources hub offers a comprehensive collection focused on public and community engagement, including practical tools, case examples, and guidance on inclusive and ethical practice. The University Policy Engagement Network’s Resource Navigator acts as a curated gateway to policy engagement toolkits, helping you quickly identify relevant resources for areas such as evidence use in policy, project scoping, and rapid evidence assessments. Together, these resources provide: These hubs work particularly well as starting points for self-directed development or when designing new engagement activity and wanting to ground it in established good practice. NCCPE resources hub UPEN CAPE Resource Navigator for policy engagement toolkits What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Looking ahead 6 months, what change or outcome do you want from your engagement work, who needs to be involved, and what one approach or suggestion from these toolkits …
Improve partnership health by explicitly addressing equity and power
The Association of Commonwealth Universities Equitable Research Partnerships toolkit focuses on improving partnership sustainability through equity, power-awareness, and shared practice. It is particularly useful for collaborations that span institutions, countries, or community/NGO contexts, where differences in voice, credit, resourcing, and decision rights can quietly undermine success. It can help you design how to: “Networks matter, but relationships matter more than visibility.” Martina Egedusevic, Impact Fellow, University of Exeter. Read more from Martina. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Where does power sit in your partnership (funding, agenda-setting, authorship, data), and what one change would make decision-making more equitable?
Use practical tools to engage with policy audiences and processes effectively
This EU policy engagement toolkit offers practical formats, methods, and examples for engaging with policy actors and policy processes. It is useful if you want to move beyond generic “dissemination” and develop a more intentional approach to influencing and dialogue. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Which of the formats (or combination of formats) of engagement would be best suited to the policy impact you would like your research to have?
Consciously choose your approach to research-practice translation
This peer-reviewed paper (Evans et al., 2014) provides an in-depth exploration of “boundary spanning” interventions, the different approaches that can be taken and why they matter for research-practice translation. In particular it explores two types of “boundary spanning” which can be useful to think about in terms of the type of relationships you wish to build with external stakeholders. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: For the type of KE activities you are undertaking which approach (bridging or blurred) would best suit your intended outcomes? What would be the positive and negative implications of these approaches in your context?
Systematically plan, deliver, and evidence Knowledge Exchange and its impact
This Oxford Education toolkit provides practical tools and prompts for thinking through pathways to impact and knowledge exchange (KE). It is especially useful when you are beginning to design Knowledge Exchange activities and includes information and advice on: It also contains an extensive bibliography linked to KE and research impact. “Impact takes time, and from the inside it often looks slow, relational and messy.” Martina Egedusevic, Impact Fellow, University of Exeter. Read more from Martina. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What is the one most important outcome you want to enable, and what is the most credible piece of evidence you could capture to show progress toward it?
Design stakeholder engagement that is credible, inclusive, and effective
This University of Oxford blog summarises a report by Dr Caitlin Hafferty that provides ten research-led recommendations that translate into practical choices about how to engage stakeholders well. It is particularly useful when you are dealing with different levels of power, competing incentives, and different definitions of “success”. The report that is summarised: “I learned that I can make the most impact with being sincerely interested in the full persons who are present before me. What are their interests? What do they dislike the most? We go day to day without actually seeing people as entire human beings. It is seeing and appreciating all of who someone is that gets that person to feel seen. And imagine how being seen can be empowering and how empowered people can change the world.” Read more from this career story What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What is the real purpose of your stakeholder engagement, and who must be involved in it to be meaningful?
Use proven templates to negotiate and structure external collaboration projects
The Lambert Toolkit is a sector-recognised set of model agreements and guidance for collaborations between universities and external partners (particularly industry). It is designed to reduce ambiguity early, make negotiations smoother, and prevent partnerships stalling due to uncertainty around IP, roles, and outputs. It provides model agreements covering common collaboration scenarios and helps you anticipate and resolve IP and exploitation questions up front. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What is the single most likely “pressure point” in your collaboration (IP, publication, timelines, exclusivity), and which Lambert collaboration model best helps you address it?
Get started with university – industry collaboration in a structured, low-risk way
This PLOS Community Guide breaks down university – industry collaboration into manageable steps, with an emphasis on clarity of expectations and mutual benefit. While framed for early career researchers, it is very transferable for established researchers who want to formalise external collaboration or scale it without creating avoidable risk. The guide will help you to: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What are the three expectations you most need to make explicit at the start (outputs, timelines, IP/publication), and what do you assume the partner expects? “Not all networking needs to result in an immediate output or grant. There is value in simply keeping in touch.” Professor of Biomechanics. Read more from this career story.
Use consulting to build external credibility and open up impact pathways
This Nature Careers article offers a practical, realistic view of why consulting can be worth doing as an academic – not only for income, but to build insight into real-world problems, strengthen external relationships, and develop a clearer sense of how your expertise translates beyond the university, and accelerate knowledge exchange. In particular it sets out the typical benefits academics and society report from consulting (insight, networks, reputation, impact) and discusses the challenges to be navigated at an institutional level. “You should never underestimate the convening power of being an academic. We have independence and legitimacy that allow us to bring together people from industry, government and civil society.” Bob Doherty, Professor of Marketing and Sustainable & Responsible Business, University of York. Read more from Bob. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What is the clearest consultancy offer you could make to an external partner in one sentence?
From principal investigator to institutional leader: choosing what to let go of in order to lead well
Nick Plant Role: Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Research and InnovationDiscipline: Systems ToxicologyInstitution: University of Leeds Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story My career has involved transitioning from a research-focussed role to a leadership-focussed one. That shift required some deliberate decisions about what to stop doing and where I could have the greatest impact. If I could advise my younger self, I would say two things. First, be kinder to yourself. The decisions you make are the best you can make at the time. Looking back and ruminating over them does not change them. Second, be true to yourself. I spent too much time worrying about what others thought, rather than concentrating on what was right for me. One assumption I had to unlearn was that changing direction might be seen as a failure or a step away from “real” research. In fact, if you do what you do best, people will respect that. And if they do not, that is their problem, not yours. Over time, I have realised that I can make the most impact by supporting others to be their best selves. Research …
Crossing disciplinary boundaries: shaping a career between history and archaeology
Jonathan Finch Role: Professor of Archaeology / Director, White Rose College of the Arts and HumanitiesDiscipline: Historical Archaeology (Post-Medieval)Institution: University of York Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story I trained as an historian but gradually moved toward archaeology, particularly the landscape, eventually taking up a position in an archaeology department rather than a history department. The shift was not a rejection of one field for another, but a recognition that my interests and strengths sat across both. Moving between disciplines required confidence. Interdisciplinary research can feel difficult, particularly when established disciplinary traditions appear fixed and guarded. Early on, it can seem as though expertise in another field is sacred or unattainable. Over time, I learned that this is not the case. If I could advise my younger self, I would say: trust your own instincts but take advice from those you trust. You have a unique skill set. That combination of training, methods and perspectives can be turned to your advantage. Working across disciplinary boundaries has allowed me to add value in ways that might not have been possible had I stayed within a …
Taking opportunities, leading through listening and collaboration, and empowering communities through research
Jasjit Singh Role: Pro Dean International, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and CulturesDiscipline: Sociology of ReligionInstitution: University of Leeds Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story My career has developed through a series of academic, leadership and communityfacing roles, leading to my current position as Pro Dean International in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. Throughout this journey, I’ve been driven by a commitment to connecting academic research with realworld challenges and ensuring it has tangible impact beyond the university. If I could speak to my younger self, I would say this: even when you feel constantly busy, strategically developing and taking opportunities — especially the daunting ones — is worth it. The experiences that seemed overwhelming at the time have shaped my trajectory in unexpected and rewarding ways. One myth I have had to unlearn is that everyone else has everything figured out. They don’t. Leadership develops in real time, through listening, adapting and learning as you go. I believe I make the most meaningful impact through deep listening, because it creates the foundations for innovation, insight and collaboration. My approach to …
From fair trade chocolate to food systems leadership: building impact through collaboration, systems thinking and strategic career moves
Bob Doherty Role: Professor of Marketing and Sustainable & Responsible BusinessDiscipline: Business and MarketingInstitution: University of York Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story I spent thirteen years in the agri-food industry before entering academia in 2003. I had been Head of Sales and Marketing at Divine Fair Trade Chocolate for five years, and that experience gave me networks, practical insight and credibility across the science–policy–industry boundary. I entered academia without a PhD, running a Master’s programme while completing my doctorate part-time. My early research focused on individual organisations like Divine, but over time I deliberately pivoted towards examining food systems more broadly. I realised that if you want to address big challenge problems, you need to adopt a systems approach and build interdisciplinary teams. Collaboration has been central throughout my career. You should never underestimate the convening power of being an academic. We have independence and legitimacy that allow us to bring together people from industry, government and civil society. During my DEFRA secondment, for example, I was able to assemble industry leaders within days because of those networks. Some myths did …
Moving from the NHS into academia, building confidence, and learning that asking for help strengthens rather than weakens you
Saniya Rabbani Role: Lecturer and Talking Therapies Clinical Tutor Discipline: Psychology – Clinical and AppliedInstitution: University of Sheffield Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story I moved between sectors, from the NHS into academia. That transition required confidence and patience with myself. Looking back, I would tell myself to believe in my own abilities and reach. To grasp opportunities that are in alignment with myself, even if I feel hesitant about doing so. I would also say: don’t try to do everything alone. Consult friends, family or colleagues to talk about plans and thoughts if you’re feeling unsure. Be open, people are happy to help and support. I had doubts about performance and not being enough. I was keen to continue my independence within the workplace and to manage alone. In reality, the opposite has been true. Being open, honest and accepting my inner thoughts and feelings has been impactful. It allowed me to see that I was not alone and that others merging into academia experience similar doubts. It was all quite new to me. Opportunities can sometimes feel difficult to come across. However, many …
From big fish in a small pond to tiny fish in a vast one: recalibrating identity, patience and progression after moving institutions
Anonymous contributor Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story After my PhD, I worked for five years in a very small post-92 institution. One real advantage was that it was easy to take on responsibility and to engage with university leaders, right up to the Vice Chancellor. I sat on several university level committees and was vice chair of one; I was seen as a safe pair of hands, and colleagues often came to me with questions about assessment policies, ethics, REF processes and more. I usually had the answer at my fingertips. Over time, though, I felt I had outgrown the institution. I was looking for something with more hustle and bustle, having done all my own studies in the Russell Group. I moved to Sheffield and am now in my fourth year. I imagined that a Russell Group institution would solve the “problems” I had experienced in a small university. There would be more people, more training, more money and more student buzz. All of that was true! What I did not anticipate, however, was how hard it …
Moving institutions into a professorial role, overcoming imposter syndrome, and learning to prioritise the work that really matters
Anonymous contributor Role: Professor of Biomechanics Discipline: Medical Engineering Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story I did my PhD, post doc and academic career up to Associate Professor at the University of Leeds between 2004 and 2022. I then moved institution to take up a professorial role at the University of Sheffield. The move, particularly as I was effectively being promoted to Professor, generated a lot of imposter syndrome. I was extremely anxious about leaving somewhere I was established and worried that people would not like me coming in at a senior level. I doubted myself more than I expected to. It turned out that those fears were not real. I genuinely feel that I joined my tribe when I moved. I have been very well supported and have had many opportunities. Looking back, I would tell myself not to judge my worth by other people’s interest in working with me and to try not to doubt myself so much. Within my new role, I have taken on responsibilities beyond my own research, including being PGR Lead within the School. The …
Building a 40 year academic career on my own terms, leading authentically, and redefining what progression looks like across institutions
Contributor role: Lecturer in Marketing (Teaching and Scholarship) and Chair of Marketing Dept Advisory Board Discipline: Marketing Institution: University of Leeds Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story I have been a lecturer for 40 years and have worked at various Business Schools in the UK. I began as a Lecturer in Business Policy at Plymouth on a three year contract before relocating north via Leeds Beckett, Manchester Metropolitan and eventually settling at Leeds in 2006. The northern universities have looked after me well, with permanent contracts and better terms for promotion. At Leeds Beckett, my strengths in marketing rather than business strategy were recognised and I was promoted to Senior Lecturer in Marketing. I led on various projects, from Dissertation Co ordinator to assessor for undergraduate European marketing students. A highlight was assessing my students in French at our partner institution in Caen. I also joined a team of psychologists as a Marketing Consultant to study consumer behaviour for a major UK retailer. At Manchester Metropolitan, I continued as Senior Lecturer and became Programme Lead for undergraduate Marketing and Brand Management …
Redefining success on my own terms, pushing back against imposed limits, and leading with passion rather than permission
Anonymous contributor Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story As a T&S member of staff at my institution, I found myself in a position where it was decided how my career would advance. The decision was made without my opinion and what was decided undermined my qualifications and experiences. From my point of view, there was clear prejudice but leaving my institution was not the answer (at this point I had encountered prejudice everywhere!). So I took myself out of this biased and condescending vision of my future that had been constructed for me and created my own. In pushing back against others’ views of you, there is a lot you need to keep in mind. Honesty is not always the best way forward, especially when EDI issues are involved. Instead, spend time learning from every injustice and pivoting from the lessons you identified. Doing this, I realised I needed to be connected to myself in a way that allowed me to work alone if I needed to and to be very picky about who I worked with – people …
Building long-term impact through international moves, field shifts and strategic patience
Contributor role: Research Fellow Discipline: Medical Physics Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story My career has involved moving between institutions, countries and research directions. After my PhD, I was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship in Japan, working in a field related but quite different from my doctoral work. Moving into a new language, culture and discipline at the same time was a significant professional reset. It felt, in many ways, like beginning again. The first phase required perseverance. Establishing methods, understanding a new research landscape and building collaborations took time. Publications did not appear immediately. However, later in the fellowship – and even after it had formally ended – the work began to bear fruit. A subsequent move to the US involved a similar shift in field and environment. Although the language was familiar, the professional transition still required rebuilding systems and approaches. Again, it took time to get experiments working and establish momentum. The outputs followed later. Looking back, those experiences reshaped how I think about career progression. Outputs do not always align neatly with effort in the short …
Stepping into senior leadership and learning to think more deliberately about the balance between institutional responsibility and personal research.
John Flint Role: Deputy Vice President – Research Discipline: Urban StudiesInstitution: University of Sheffield Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story Over the course of my career, I have transitioned into senior leadership roles within my institution, initially as Head of School, then as a Faculty Director and currently as Deputy Vice President for Research. Looking back, I would advise my younger self to be more deliberate and clear about the extent to which I wished to balance senior leadership with research and teaching. I do not regret the direction my career has taken. However, I think I could have thought more carefully about the longer term consequences of that balance. There are examples of colleagues who effectively combine senior leadership with continuing excellent research and innovation or impact. It can be done. I would also say that some colleagues assume they would not enjoy or be effective in senior leadership roles. In many cases, that will be the right judgement for them. However, there are also individuals who, despite initial doubts, find that they enjoy these roles and derive real …
From flood engineer to boundary-spanning impact fellow: designing a career at the intersection of science, policy and lived experience.
Martina Egedusevic Role: Impact FellowDiscipline: Nature based solutionsInstitution: University of Exeter Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story My career sits at the intersection of engineering, environmental science and public decision-making. I trained as a hydraulic engineer in Serbia and spent seven years working on flood protection and river basin management across the Danube, Sava and Morava catchments. The 2014 Balkan floods were a turning point for me personally and professionally. My family home was affected, and I experienced first-hand the gap between emergency response and long-term risk reduction. That experience led me to pursue a PhD in Natural Flood Management in Scotland, focusing on how land use change and woodland creation influence flood risk. Since then, my work has increasingly moved across sectors: academia, consultancy, government, NGOs and communities. I have worked on nature-based solutions, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation in the UK and internationally. I am currently an Impact Fellow at the University of Exeter, working closely with policymakers, practitioners and communities to translate research into real-world change. Looking back, I would tell myself that impact does not come from doing …
From over-extension to intentional focus: redefining progression while balancing leadership, maternity leave, and long-term impact.
Jiao Ji Role: Lecturer in FinanceDiscipline: Accounting and FinanceInstitution: University of Sheffield Please note: This story reflects the personal experience and perspective of its contributor. Academic careers vary widely, and others may experience different challenges and opportunities. Career Story Over the past several years, I have balanced a full academic workload with two periods of maternity leave, returning each time to a demanding teaching and leadership environment while maintaining an active research agenda. Alongside my role as Programme Director, I have taken on significant EDI and pastoral responsibilities, particularly supporting early-career colleagues and academic parents, while working toward long-term progression to Senior Lecturer and Professor. Earlier in my career, I equated visibility with progress. I said yes frequently, took on service roles, and absorbed expectations without always questioning whether they aligned with my longer-term goals. Over time, and particularly after maternity leave, I realised that sustainability and focus mattered more than constant availability. If I could advise my younger self, I would tell myself to be more selective earlier – about projects, service, and expectations – and to trust that focus matters more than visibility. I would advise myself not to internalise structural barriers as personal shortcomings, and to align effort with long-term goals rather than short-term reassurance. Most importantly, I would remind myself that sustainability is not a …
Let things go: you’re fishing from a river, not a pond
As an established researcher, it is important to accept that you will let some things go, including opportunities you would have enjoyed, gained recognition from, or that have served you well in the past. A helpful phrase to hold in mind is: “What got you here won’t get you there.” Many of the activities you do well, that others value, and that you may genuinely enjoy, will have helped you to become established in your career. Over time, however, these same activities can begin to crowd out space for the next phase of your development. Habits that were useful earlier on like saying yes and taking on admin roles can quietly become constraints. Think of your early career as fishing from a pond of opportunities. The pond was relatively contained, and with effort and enthusiasm it was possible to try a wide range of things and catch almost everything. Saying yes helped you build skills, raise your profile, test career directions, and gain credibility. Catching all the fish was hard work, but achievable. As an established researcher, that pond has become a flowing river (or raging torrent!). Opportunities are now abundant and continuously arriving. It is no longer possible, or …
Reflect on and review your networks
Leaders need a range of types of people in their network. It’s important to periodically review and refresh how you are engaging with your networks. Is it up to date with your current plans and achievements? Are you making the most from your network and are they getting the most from you? Conduct the short mapping exercise in the Imperial Academic’s Success Guide to reflect on who is currently in your network, where you might want to strengthen existing ties (including updating them on what you’re doing now!) or seek out new connections. You may also be reminded of people who you are now in a good position to support or mentor. What will you take forward? One thing to try: Name one relationship in your network that would benefit from refreshing, deepening, or simply reconnecting without an agenda. When will you contact them?
Planning multiple activity/ year strands: use a Work Breakdown Structure approach
At an established career stage, work rarely comes in neat, single-track projects. Most established researchers are holding multiple strands at once: long-running research programmes, teaching and supervision, leadership or departmental roles, external commitments, and opportunities that arrive mid-cycle. These strands sit on different timescales, are owned by different people, and often come with expectations that are only partly explicit. Individually, each strand may feel manageable. Collectively, they can create a persistent sense of overload, uncertainty, or even stress and anxiety. One experienced academic described their solution simply: “Every year or so, I need to see everything in one place.” Their approach was deliberately practical. They started by mapping all current and anticipated tasks and activities on a single large whiteboard, often beginning with a loose mind map. The map would soon reveal themes or work strands. For each strand, they identified the person who ultimately defined success (not necessarily themselves!). This might be a programme director, head of department, collaborator, or mentor. Naming this authority helped replace assumptions that could lead to overwhelm with conversations. Each strand was then built out to include: They also added a final layer: purpose. Why does this matter? What does it contribute to career …
Quick overview of leadership and management advice and tools for research leaders
The range of leadership and management tools, models and advice that will help you navigate your role is overwhelming. Here’s a collection of basics from Imperial’s Academic’s Success Guide. Perhaps take a look at a different topic each month. What will you take forward? One thing to try: Choose just one area to strengthen in the next few months. Which would have the greatest positive impact on your research group, team or collaboration?
Create a group charter or lab book
A research group charter or team / lab manual helps set clear expectations, shared values, and standard practices so that your group can collaborate efficiently and avoid confusion. They can be a valuable resource for getting new recruits up to speed quickly, saving you time during induction. Some research leaders send the manual to prospective students or postdocs so that they can see what to expect from the team. There are many examples of these available for you to adapt to your own circumstances. However, one of the most important things is that these are living documents, and the team feel a sense of ownership over them. The conversations around what should go in them are as valuable as the documents themselves. The following resources help you think about how you might approach writing a manual, charter or handbook for your group. If one of the aims of your team charter is to ensure your team is inclusive, you may find these resources provide some helpful considerations: Finally, this handbook-type resource was created by the Turing Institute to reflect some of the collaborative and interdisciplinary challenges in data science, with practical tools and solutions to address these. It includes advice …
Coaching skills for research leaders – develop a coaching approach
As you progress in your career you will be balancing research leadership and administration demands with often complex team dynamics, managing individuals at various career and contract stages. It’s impossible to be the expert in everything and you may find that trying to give advice simply isn’t working. A coaching approach can help you to support your team members to grow in confidence, step up to new challenges and responsibilities and take ownership of their own careers. This Imperial resource explains the value of a coaching approach, sharing practical tools such as powerful questioning and listening techniques which will help you build and apply these skills to improve both your leadership effectiveness and your team’s performance. What will you take forward? One thing to try: Where might asking better questions, rather than giving advice, change how you develop independence for someone in your team?