Research and Knowledge Exchange - Strategy

Introduction

The University of Wolverhampton has a proud heritage of excellence in research and knowledge exchange which has had a significant impact regionally and informs our teaching. Our research is curiosity-driven, collaborative and transformative.

The University Strategy 2035 sets our ambition to develop high-quality, impactful research and knowledge exchange (RKE) that transforms lives, and which makes a world-leading contribution in the areas of green innovation and sustainability, health and wellbeing and inclusive communities.

The following overarching six goals of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy, which has been developed through engagement and consultation with our key stakeholders, provide the template to deliver this ambition for research and knowledge exchange.

Prashant Pillai
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange)

Our Goals

Goal 1: People, culture and community

Develop a research and innovation environment and culture that fuels a high-performing RKE community.

• Attract, reskill and retain talent: We will attract, develop and retain high-calibre research active staff and KE Practitioners.
• Recognise and reward RKE staff: We will celebrate our RKE strengths and achievements and create career paths, development opportunities, incentives and reward mechanisms to support a high-performing research community.
• Develop a growing and thriving community of research students: We will develop a diverse portfolio of Postgraduate Research degrees to address important scientific and societal issues, increase the number of research students and provide an enriching student experience.
• Innovation and entrepreneurship: We will actively encourage entrepreneurship, especially among Early Career Researchers and doctoral students, and provide dedicated support for turning research ideas into commercial opportunities.

Goal 2: Excellence in research and innovation

Strengthen our world-leading high-quality RKE that is challenge-led.

• Increase the quality of our research: We will enhance the quality of our research by focusing on applied and impactful research and by supporting interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to address key regional, national, and global challenges.
• Increase the volume of externally funded research: We will ensure the sustainability
  of our RKE by strategically aligning and prioritising our resources to secure external funding of significance.
• Increase our knowledge exchange activities: We will increase our staff engagement with knowledge exchange, commercial and enterprise activities by embedding KE in our research and governance structures and by developing a diverse portfolio of commercial services and routes for collaborating with industry.

Goal 3: Infrastructure and platform for excellence

Develop our state-of-art infrastructure and improve our systems and processes to help us realise our ambitions.

• Infrastructure: We will develop internal RKE organisational structures to maximise efficiency, collaboration, external engagement and impact.
• Professional support structure: We will develop a nationally recognised Research and Enterprise Directorate that provides
  outstanding support to researchers and KE practitioners across the University, by optimising the effectiveness of our research systems, processes and governance.

Goal 4: Collaborations and partnerships

Develop new and enhance existing collaborations and partnerships and build our global reputation.

• Partnerships: We will build on existing and foster new strategic partnerships with industry, the public sector and not-for-profit organisations to support innovation, cocreation and knowledge exchange activities.
• Internationalisation: We will expand our research and knowledge exchange capability and opportunities by increasing
  our international academic engagement and developing partnerships with overseas higher education institutions and research centres.
• Alumni engagement: We will develop new models of engagement with our doctoral alumni for research collaborations and to
  improve the student experience.

Goal 5: Transformational impact

Maximising the impact and dissemination of our RKE.

• Impact-driven strategy: We will align our research with regional and national issues to ensure clear measurable impact that is proactively planned and supported.
• Business impact: We will develop our regional and national business engagement to help improve their productivity and success.
• Inform and shape policy and public discourse: We will engage with regional, national, and international policymakers
  and policy influencers (e.g. local authorities, regional combined authority, health and education bodies, nongovernmental
  organisations, think-tanks, etc.) to influence and shape policy.
• Amplify our impact: We will promote our research and knowledge exchange excellence through a considered marketing and
  communications approach.

Goal 6: Open and inclusive

Develop an open, inclusive and ethical approach.

• Ethics and integrity: We will ensure that all our RKE is delivered with integrity and to the highest ethical standards through our research ethics system and ethics training for our staff and students.
• Inclusive: We will actively promote a vibrant RKE culture which actively promotes inclusivity, equity, diversity and respect.
• Open research: We will embrace open research and ensure transparency of decision making.

Delivering the Strategy

The delivery of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy will be led by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange).

The delivery of the Strategy will be overseen by the University’s Strategy Delivery Board and Academic Board, a committee of the University’s Board.