This paper by Steiner et al. describes how a five-institution research collaboration built and sustained effective multi-site coordination from launch through delivery. Whilst written in a health research context, the infrastructure challenges it addresses are directly familiar to anyone leading a multi-site UK research project: partners with different institutional systems and norms, data sharing complications, the risk of fragmented governance, and the practical difficulty of keeping distributed teams aligned around shared goals. The paper’s value lies not in providing a generic framework but in showing exactly what one team actually did, and why – making it a rich source of transferable ideas rather than abstract principles. The consortium’s approach was organised around six interconnected practices, each of which has a clear parallel in UK multi-site research contexts: The authors are explicit that most of these elements need to be planned and resourced at the proposal stage, not retrofitted once problems emerge. Application of team science best practices to the project management of a large, multi-site research consortium (Steiner et al., Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 2023) What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Reading this as a case study rather than a prescriptive guide, which one or two …
Build your project team deliberately, from first meeting to close
The Drexler–Sibbet Team Performance Model offers a practical roadmap for building and sustaining effective project teams. It maps seven predictable stages that teams move through – from initial orientation to high performance and renewal – each centred on a core question that the team must answer well before it can progress. For established researchers, who assemble new teams from scratch for specific grants or projects, often across institutional boundaries and with people who have not worked together before, the model is particularly valuable because it makes visible the work that typically goes undone: establishing shared purpose, building trust, and agreeing how decisions will be made, before the real delivery pressure begins. The seven stages and their central questions are: The model is also useful as a diagnostic when a project team is struggling: it helps identify whether the underlying problem is unresolved purpose, lack of trust, unclear roles, or something else entirely – each of which requires a different response. What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Think about a project team that underperformed or felt difficult to lead. Looking at the seven stages, at which point did the foundations start to feel shaky, and what would you …
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 approaches to setting up and managing a research lab
This practical guide to setting up and managing a lab at a research intensive institution by Bob Goldstein and Prachee Avasthi explores key considerations for researchers transitioning into a principal investigator role. It has many practical suggestions, however, for those who already experienced at managing research groups. It highlights the early decisions that shape the trajectory of a research group, including negotiating resources, designing lab space, recruiting a team, and establishing effective ways of working. Many of these aspects of lab leadership are rarely taught formally, meaning new PIs often learn through experience. The guide helps make these hidden elements of running a lab more visible. For Lab Builders, the resource highlights how decisions about infrastructure, hiring, and working practices can have long-term consequences for productivity and culture. Key insights include: The central message is that building a research group requires both scientific vision and organisational leadership. Early attention to infrastructure, relationships, and culture helps create the conditions for a productive research environment. “Recruitment and people management are central to success. Hire carefully and manage individuals, not generic roles.” Benjamin Lichman, Senior Research Fellow / Senior Lecturer, University of York What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Which …
Build a research group culture that is open, collaborative, and intellectually rigorous
This short but highly practical opinion paper by Gerd Gigerenzer sets out a series of “simple heuristics” for building and sustaining a successful research group. The paper is especially useful for Lab Builders because it focuses not just on research strategy, but on how to create the conditions in which people can do ambitious, collaborative work together. In particular, it highlights the value of having: This resource is particularly valuable for academics moving from being an individual researcher or leading a small team to leading a much larger team, because it makes visible the often-overlooked work of shaping culture, not just delivering outputs. “Collective impact and strong research culture matter more than individual achievement alone.” John Flint, Deputy Vice President – Research, University of Sheffield What will you take forward? One thing to try: Pick one or two “heuristics” from this paper that would most strengthen the culture of your group right now. Make a plan to put them into practice consistently.
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?
Leading an institutional move with a research team, navigating what cannot be controlled, and prioritising the success of others over my own agenda
Contributor role: Chair in Comparative Politics Discipline: Politics and International Relations 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 Whilst holding a Future Leaders Fellowship, I was contacted to apply for my current professorial position, was successful in my application and moved institutions with my research team and centre thereafter. Moving institutions is a complex process when it involves not only the Fellow but also their research team members. In my case, I discussed the opportunity with my team members before applying and only proceeded after serious consideration of their preferences and feedback. Not all team members physically moved to the new university, which created additional challenges in maintaining established ways of working across institutions. No matter how much you prepare and organise, not everything will be under your control. This applies to institutional processes as much as to interpersonal relations within research teams. For example, most of my team members required visas to continue working in the UK upon institutional transfer. I started discussions with HR teams at both universities well in advance and informed all relevant parties of the need …
Understand your group culture
As your responsibilities grow, it’s likely that you are spending less and less time ‘on the ground’ with your research group. A quick culture “temperature check” can help you to understand team dynamics, identify emerging issues, and ensure a positive, productive environment. Here are some quick ideas to help you get a sense of what the culture is like in your research group, lab or collaboration: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: If your team described the culture in one word today, would it match your intention, and what would you want to strengthen or shift?
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?
Plan an effective induction to the lab
This induction resource from eLife was developed specifically to support you with designing a programme for new members of staff, research students, or visitors to your lab, to help them get off to a better and more productive start. It includes: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: Are there unwritten rules in your lab that you assume people will pick up, and what would change if they were named explicitly?
Know the landscape: concordats, charters and commitments that support you as a research leader
As an established researcher, you are no longer just navigating your own career. You are shaping the environment for others. That can feel daunting, particularly when people ask about their development entitlements, research integrity requirements, support for technical staff etc. Much of this is covered by various codes of practice and concordats. Your role is not to memorise every policy or personally implement every commitment. You are responsible for: Key UK Charters and Concordats Below is a summary of the main frameworks you are likely to encounter. You do not need to know every detail, but you should be aware of their purpose and relevance to your leadership role. For a brief explanation of each of the following and a link to further information, see the FLF Development Network’s Research Landscape Toolkit. Career Development and Research Culture. These influence how researchers are developed, assessed and supported across career stages. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion These frameworks shape institutional commitments to equity, representation and inclusive culture. Integrity and Responsibility These define expectations around ethical practice, transparency and environmental responsibility. Technical and Professional Roles: This commitment recognises the vital role of technical colleagues in research and promotes visibility, career development and sustainability of …
Learn from research exemplars: lab management practices
This PLOS One publication shares core lab management practices used by PIs to promote rigorous research and ensure a positive and proactive attitude towards health and safety and other compliance expectations. It’s useful for research leaders and academic administrators aiming to improve the quality and integrity of scientific work and address challenges such as inconsistent data quality across projects or confusion over responsibilities for different lab members. (Go direct to table of exemplars here). What will you take forward? One thing to try: Which one practice from these exemplars will you adopt straight away to improve clarity or consistency in your own lab?
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 …
Explore tailored research leadership resources
Established researchers express a wide range of leadership and management needs such as recruitment, performance conversations, delegation, effective meetings, coaching and mentoring skills etc. There is an overwhelming amount of advice out there: some relevant to established researchers, some less so. Rather than re-create it all here, we recommend and connect you directly to open access resources that are tailored to research and academic leaders: What will you take forward? One thing to consider: What is one leadership challenge you’re dealing with at the moment? Which single external resource could you engage with this week to move forward?