Your Institutional and departmental strategies impact your career in multiple ways. Make sure you are up to date on these, and clear about where you might need to adapt or respond.
Current funding pressures in the sector mean that many institutions are restructuring and rationalising their focus areas. When was the last time you mapped your activity against your institutional or departmental strategies? Do you know what is different in these now, compared with the last time you looked at them? This resource from the UKRI Future Leaders Fellows Development Network on the UK research landscape offers some tools and definitions to help you think about your institution and departments unique ‘personality’, strengths, opportunities, and challenges. Take time to consider how each of these factors are impacting on you and on where you see things going in the future.
Use these resources to identify any grey areas that you might be able to seek clarification on, or opportunities to discuss with a mentor.
“Establishing an internal mentorship is vital, as it helps navigate ‘unwritten rules’ and gain clarity on institutional expectations.”
Jiao Ji, Lecturer in Finance, University of Sheffield. Read more from Jiao.
What will you take forward?
One thing to try: Where does your work align strongly with institutional priorities? If you need clarity, who will you seek it from? when will you secure that clarification or negotiate better alignment?
Related Tags
Persona:
All
Topic:
Prioritising and decision-making
Promotion and progression
Reflection and review: leadership identity
Scaling up (career and/or research group)
Resource type:
Link
Related Resouces
See all Established Researcher resources
Peer Discussion Guide: Putting your energy where it matters
This guide curates a small selection of related resources and offers a light structure for reflection and conversation.
From principal investigator to institutional leader: choosing what to let go of in order to lead well
From over-extension to intentional focus: redefining progression while balancing leadership, maternity leave, and long-term impact.
Build a research group culture that is open, collaborative, and intellectually rigorous
Learn practical, research-informed heuristics for shaping a strong, collaborative culture as your team grows.
Sign up to our newsletter
The White Rose University Consortium actively engages with institutional, regional and national partners to propel positive change and create sustained impact for individuals, communities, and the region.
