Episode 5

full

Published on:

2nd Aug 2023

(S5E5) Co-production with Dr Briony Thomas: Engaged for Impact Awards 2022

In our weekly Research Culture Uncovered conversations we are asking what is Research Culture and why does it matter? This episode is part of Season 5, where we are investigating the impact of impact on research culture. In this episode your host, Ged, is joined by Dr Briony Thomas.

Briony is Associate Professor in Design Science, and her role is actually a joint appointment between the Schools of Design in the Arts and Humanities Faculty and Mechanical Engineering in the Engineering and Physical Sciences Faculty. Briony joined Leeds in 2004, initially just in the School of Design. She was then seconded to Mechanical Engineering in 2015 to lead the establishment of cross-disciplinary initiatives in shape based design manufacturer before her current role started in 2019.

You can connect to Briony on Twitter: @DrBrionyThomas

I ask Briony about a co-produced project that she was involved in, which was successful in the Widening Perspectives category of the University's inaugural Engaged for Impact Awards in 2022. Her key messages were:

Resist coming into a co-produced project with preconceived ideas and assumptions
Work with people not assumed hierarchies
Respect and utilise all the knowledge that partners have to be successful
Define that success together
Be clear and open about drivers i.e. who wants to achieve what and why
Be responsive and learn and adapt as you go.

At the time of recording the episode, Briony mentioned that information and resources from the project were available at https://keepitreal.education/ but this has now moved to her research group's website at https://creativlearnlab.com/keepin-it-real/. This new website has loads of information about other co-produced and interdisciplinary project's that Briony and her colleagues are involved in.

Follow us on twitter: @ResDevLeeds, @OpenResLeeds, @ResCultureLeeds, @HallGed

Connect to us on LinkedIn: @ResearchUncoveredPodcast, @GedHall

If you would like to contribute to a podcast episode get in touch: researcherdevelopment@leeds.ac.uk

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About the Podcast

Research Culture Uncovered

Changing Research Culture through conversations

At the University of Leeds, we believe that all members of our research community play a crucial role in developing and promoting a positive and inclusive research culture. Across the globe, the urgent need for a better Research Culture in Higher Education is widely accepted – but how do you make it happen? This weekly podcast focuses on our ideas, approaches and learning as we contribute to the University's attempt to create a Research Culture in which everyone can thrive. Whether you undertake, lead, fund or benefit from research - these are the conversations to listen to if you want to explore what a positive Research Culture is and why it matters.

Unless specified in the episode shownotes, Research Culture Uncovered © 2023 by Research Culturosity, University of Leeds is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This license requires that reusers give credit to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. Some episodes may be licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0, please check before use.

About your hosts

Emma Spary

I moved into development after several years as an independent researcher and now lead the team providing professional and career development for all researchers and those supporting research. I am passionate about research culture and supporting people. I lead our Concordat implementation work and was part of the national Concordat writing group. I represent Leeds as a member of Researchers14, the N8PDRA group and UKRI’s Alternative Uses Group.

Emily Goodall

I'm part of the Researcher Development and Culture team at the University of Leeds, focusing on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), open research, and research integrity provision. I also contribute to our PGR develop programmes and research ethics committees. I joined Leeds in 2022 after several years at the University of Sheffield, where I started out as a postdoc in Neuroscience, before transitioning into Professional Services to managing a large Doctoral Training Partnership.

Taryn Bell

I work as a Researcher Development Adviser at the University of Leeds. My focus is on career development, with a particular focus on supporting funding and fellowships. I previously worked at the University of York as their Fellowship Coordinator, developing and growing the University's community of early career fellows. Get in touch if you'd like to learn more (T.L.Bell@leeds.ac.uk)!

Katie Jones

I am a Researcher Development and Culture Project Officer at the University of Leeds, where I lead projects within the Researcher Development and Culture Team. My role involves managing projects that enhance the development of researchers and foster a positive research culture across the University and the higher education sector.

Heledd Jarosz-Griffiths

I’m a Researcher Development Advisor at the University of Leeds. My work focuses on two key areas, supporting the development of postgraduate researchers (PGRs), and supporting and creating opportunities for research leadership development. I’m also particularly passionate about recognising the contributions of post-doctoral researchers and technicians, especially when it comes to supervision, reward, and recognition. Before stepping into this role, I spent several years as a researcher myself - first as a PhD student, and then as a post-doc, working across two different fields in both Leeds and Manchester. Through that experience, I developed a deep understanding of the challenges and developmental needs of early-career researchers. I’m really passionate about supporting the next generation of researchers and helping them navigate their academic journey.

Ged Hall

I've worked for almost 20 years in researcher development, careers guidance and academic skills development. For the last decade I've focused on the area of research impact. This has included organisational development projects and professional development for individual researchers and groups. I co-authored the Engaged for Impact Strategy and am heavily involved in its implementation, across the University of Leeds, to build a healthy impact culture. For 10 years after my PhD, I was a consultant in the utility sector, which included being broker between academia and my clients.

Ruth Winden

After many years running my own careers consultancy business I made the transition to researcher development leading our careers provision. My background is in career coaching, facilitation and group-based coaching, and I have a special interest in cohort-based coaching programmes which help researchers manage their careers proactively and transition into any sector and role of their choice.

Nick Sheppard

I have worked in scholarly communications for over 15 years, currently as Open Research Advisor at the University of Leeds. I am interested in effective dissemination of research through sustainable models of open access, including underlying data, and potential synergies with open education and Open Educational Resources (OER), particularly underlying technology, software and interoperability of systems.

Tony Bromley

I've worked in the area of the development of researchers for 20 years, including at the national and international level. I was lead author of the UK sector researcher development impact framework charged with evaluating the over £20M per year investment of UK research councils in researcher development. I have convened the international Researcher Education and Development Scholarship (REDS) conference for a number of years and have published on researcher development evaluation and pedagogy. All the details are on www.tonybromley.com !! Also why not take a look at https://conferences.leeds.ac.uk/reds/