Our clients share similar challenges: How do you help academic and professional staff at different career stages keep their love of scholarship and science alive at an individual and collegial level, while working in a large institution with corporate imperatives for research and teaching?
Outside Opinion works at all levels of higher education and from different perspectives. We are independent, experienced and we understand universities and research institutes. We help clients at group, centre, school, faculty, institute and whole of institution level to identify and articulate the problems they want to tackle.
Through workshops, cohort work and mentoring we provide tools, models and examples that encourage discussion and effective planning. Our large team of experienced discipline leaders can be matched to academic groups in any discipline. We can also help the professional teams that work alongside academic groups, in research offices or in faculty teams.
The services listed below mostly involve teams of academic and professional staff working together, and below this list are services designed particularly for professional staff capacity building.
Strategic planning for capacity
Need an outside eye on what your institution sees as your research strengths and as emerging opportunities? We use both quantitative and qualitative data in our analyses of research performance and opportunities. We use the evidence in dialogue with clients and stakeholders, to clarify priorities, identify barriers and work on strategies to overcome them. We can help with benchmarking, strategic planning, implementation and evaluation.
Recent projects include:
• Helping a large metropolitan university to identify strengths and consult staff on research groupings
• Supporting a regional university to develop research strategic plan
• Research and strategic planning for a faculty of education, arts and social sciences
• Planning with health and science schools
• Strategic planning for a Go8 school of architecture and design
Research themes, clusters, precincts and platforms
All our clients tackle the question of whether to be comprehensive in their pursuit of research excellence, or to concentrate on high performing clusters and groups. Should they prioritise discipline depth or interdisciplinary problem solving or both? How do they protect and foster fundamental research, while pursing impact and partnership? Outside Opinion senior associates have deep familiarity with models and possibilities and can help both to devise strategies and to help groups to implement them.
Recent projects include:
• Identification of draft university research themes and investment options
• Strategic planning with current and emerging interdisciplinary clusters
• Workshop with a School of Education exploring precinct thinking
• Site visit to see examples of best practice precinct initiatives
Faculty research performance
How do faculties or divisions with multiple schools and disciplines get alignment on research performance expectations and link the thinking about workload, recruitment, leave provision and promotion? We can help with independent analyses of current plans, consulting with stakeholders while discussing what the data tells us. Our discipline experts are nuanced in their analysis and have the credibility to give and take robust feedback. We help the real work to happen, in the conversations we start between colleagues.
Recent projects include:
• Analysis of School plans and research workload models at a regional university
• Facilitation of research performance strategic planning workshops at an ATN
• School planning retreats and workshops
Research leaders
Leading a centre or institute can be isolating and stressful. There are always complex relations to central and local line managers and issues about national and international allies or competitors. Centre leaders need to know their colleagues but also be active with industry, government and community partners. It is hard to get clarity about what is distinctive about the Centre focus, mission and expertise. We provide advisers who know their field and help leaders talk to others within and outside their institution.
Recent projects include:
• DVCR commissioned program of support for Centre leaders to develop and present their vision
• Impact pathway program for leaders in a large research institute, working backwards from a vision of social, environmental and economic impact
• Retreat for leaders of research groups on the lessons learned from the best research centres they know and how to translate that into practice
• Analysis of how the Director and research leaders in a Centre perceived their ERA planning priorities.
Mentoring
We offer mentoring at all levels of academic and professional staff. We match our mentors with people who have done similar roles and succeeded in them, and who can also draw on the insights that come from failing and rethinking. Mentoring can focus on communication or on strategic planning, or we might work on influence and impact or provide support and advice on a large-scale funding bid. Mentoring is driven by the particular needs of the mentee.
Deans, Heads of School and Associate Deans Research
People leading school and faculty groups often find research and capacity-building slipping to the bottom of the agenda. They can use help with planning and analysis, but also with sustaining their own research and working in national and international networks, attracting talent and allies. We help with:
• Individual coaching that is confidential and honest
• Cohort work across or between institutions
• Recruitment and succession planning
career progression support
OO Senior Associates have a vast array of experience in support applications for academic promotion, confirmation and tenure from levels A through to C, applications for academic and professional leadership positions, and for awards and recognition. Our Associates have mentored their colleagues and our clients through promotion processes, sat on review and selection committees for senior leadership roles and have direct experience themselves as applicants.
Career Progression support
OO Senior Associates have a vast array of experience in support applications for academic promotion, confirmation and tenure from levels A through to C, applications for academic and professional leadership positions, and for awards and recognition. Our Associates have mentored their colleagues and our clients through promotion processes, sat on review and selection committees for senior leadership roles and have direct experience themselves as applicants.
Coaching
Outside Opinion has expertise and experience in delivering executive coaching for individuals and teams in the Australian higher education sector. We have been providing one-on-one, team, and train-the-trainer coaching to executives, senior professional staff, academics and aspiring academic leaders since 2018.
Our coaches have first-hand experience of working in senior leadership/executive roles in higher education and adjacent sectors including the ARC and CSIRO. They are experienced in coaching academic, professional and executive staff at the highest level. We offer bespoke coaching programs that are created in dialogue with clients to meet the precise coaching needs of participants and maximise alignment with institutional strategies. Coaching can be short or long term and confidentiality is assured.
Recent projects include:
• DVCR and Dean coaching
• Research manager coaching
• Heads of school
• Centre Directors
See the full list of Research and Academic Capacity Building workshops
Professional Development for Research Services Staff
Online mini-workshop series
A package of 7 x 1 hour zoom sessions incorporating insights from sector and discipline experts, group exercises and discussion, identification of key points and implications for action.
Sample workshop topics include:
Working with academics: understanding academic culture and how to work effectively with it. Learning about the history of universities, particularly in Australia, and the key drivers and motivations that underpin academic endeavour is a key foundation stone in understanding the cultural factors that often determine how academic and professional staff interact.
Professional staff career path options: diversity, opportunity and mastery. This session provides an overview of the many varied ways a research support role can turn into a thriving career.
Knowing your value and playing to your strengths. Workshop explores the unique perspectives professional staff provide and how to find empowerment and achieve mastery.
Research management fundamentals. The workshop covers key strengths and skillsets essential to thriving in research management.
(Re)Introducing a grant funding body or research sector. Workshop provides an overview of the ARC or NHMRC or industry, government or philanthropic research landscapes. This session would suit those new to research services or returning from other roles.
Deepening scheme-specific knowledge. Exploring a specific grant scheme or one aspect of the application process – such as crafting a project outline, identifying project benefits, strengthening ROPE or addressing the ARC national interest statement
Trends and strategic concepts in research. Covers topics such as research impact, industry collaboration, working with government and NGOs, intellectual property (tailored according to need).
Mentoring and Shadowing
OO Specialist and Senior Associates who have been employed in senior professional roles in universities across Australia are also available to provide small group or one-on-one mentoring support for professional staff. Mentoring can be based around career objectives or professional tasks, for example supporting staff with a live project.