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Earma 2023: Participants question whether money will follow EU-level policies to enhance support for research
A push to make research managers do more to improve how R&D is conducted in Europe must come with sufficient and systematic funding, experts have warned.
The EU has included research management in its plans to improve the European Research Area—an initiative to create a single market for R&D—by backing a specific policy priority, known as Action 17, to improve the profession.
Stephane Berghmans (pictured, second from right), director of research and innovation at the European University Association, told the annual meeting of the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators in Prague that this action was clearly linked to other ERA priority actions, such as on open research and reforming assessment processes.
But he said that while political support for research management is welcome, it must be backed up with resources.
“One concern I have is: it’s one thing to say we need research management…but you need to have the funding,” he told the meeting on 26 April.
A poll of attendees found that over 80 per cent thought their institution would not support more money going to research management if this would mean less money for research.
Strategic approach lacking
Speaking in the same keynote panel session, Lidia Borrell-Damián (pictured, on screen), secretary-general of the Science Europe association of research funders and performers, said that funders had so far taken a “maybe ad hoc”, individual approach to supporting research management, and that a change may be needed.
“There has perhaps not been a strategic approach, a holistic approach towards the research management profession, and maybe that’s one step that needs to be taken now,” she said.
The current unsatisfactory support for the profession is “a little bit about talking the talk about research management and not walking the walk”, said Doris Alexander (pictured, left), associate director of European engagement at Trinity College Dublin.
Research Professional News is media partner for the Earma 2023 conference in Prague. Read all of the coverage here.