MMU FUTURE RKE LEADERS PROGRAMME The University is

MMU FUTURE RKE LEADERS PROGRAMME
The University is introducing the MMU Future RKE Leaders Programme, primarily
aimed at senior lecturers with an emerging or increasing track record in RKE who
are leading or who aspire to lead a research team. The aim being that those with
potential will, by the end of the programme, have been supported to a point where
they would be able to generate significant considerable RKE income and contribute
to the improvement of the University’s RKE performance.
The programme will be of three-five years duration with a new cohort coming on
stream each year. There will be 12 places available for the first year of each intake.
The programme will be delivered through a partnership approach between HR
Valuing and Engaging People, the RKE Office and faculties. The faculties will
contribute to providing seed corn funding and time release to programme
participants to support conference attendance.
Programme Overview
Year One
The first year of the programme will provide a broad and comprehensive programme
of development. The content of the first year of the programme will encompass
generic and MMU specific development. The aim of the first year will be to provide
the participants with a good understanding of the internal and external RKE context.
The content of the first year of the programme will include the Leadership
Foundation for Higher Education (LFHE) Research Team Leadership (RTL)
Programme with additional MMU specific modules built on. Mentors will provide
additional support to programme participants. A more detailed description of the
proposed programme for the first year is attached at Appendix 1.
The first year of the programme will be delivered by the programme team and a
range of guest presenters:
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Members of the Valuing and Engaging People team
Members of the RKE Office
Research Institute Directors
The Leadership Foundation for HE Research Team Leadership (RTL)
programme team
External project management consultant
During year one, participants will engage with reflection and self-review in order to
identify their specific RKE and career development needs. Participants will identify
the appropriate sessions from the wider programme that they will attend. Participants
will also be provided with a mentor from the start of the programme.
At the end of year one each participant will have an assessment with a member of
the programme team in order to determine whether they should proceed onto the
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subsequent years of the programme or whether their career development should be
supported in a different way.
Year Two onwards
Given the self-review and assessment processes that will take place towards the end
of the first year, it is anticipated that the number of participants progressing into year
two of the programme will be fewer than the number who started the programme in
year one.
The focus of year two onwards will be to support the individual participants to
develop their own research profiles and increase their research outputs.
Whereas in the first year the focus is mainly on training and development, the focus
in subsequent years is on more personalised support through mentoring and the
provision of seed-corn funding to support conference attendance.
Participants will be awarded funding to support attendance at conferences in year
two onwards.
Participants will continue to engage in the self-review process throughout the
remainder of the programme.
Eligibility criteria
Academic staff who are nominated for the programme should:
be good researchers
normally already be REFable
have already submitted bids
have supervised research students
be engaged in research which aligns with the University’s research strategy
Selection process
Applications will be made through Deans and Associate Deans for Research. The
application form, for completion by both the applicant and the appropriate manager,
is attached at Appendix 2.
The application form asks applicants to propose a mentor. It also asks Deans or
Associate Deans to comment on the appropriateness of the proposed mentor. The
programme team will provide briefing and training to the mentors to ensure they
understand the aims of the programme, they are supported in developing their skills
as mentors, and they understand how the mentoring element integrates with the rest
of the programme.
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