Benefits of the Research
Coaching Programme
Research Coaching
Programme
Coordination
and Support
Not everyone who seeks coaching will be
new to research. A more experienced researcher
may also wish to re-engage in research after a
particularly heavy administrative workload; learn from
others how to get involved in new types of funding;
refocus their research; or commercialise their research
outputs.
How will this Programme be Coordinated?
The Research Coaching Programme should
help you to:
•Achieve particular research outputs in the next 12
months.
•Reignite your involvement in research.
•Facilitate the achievement of your personal research
goals for the next 12 months.
•Learn from someone who has relevant experience
(for example, someone who has successfully
secured EU funding).
•Fast track your research outputs.
•Help you to build your research career.
•Understand what you can get out of the coaching
relationship by providing relevant training for you and
your coach.
What is the Role of the
Coordinating Group?
Research
Coaching
The Research Coaching Programme will be
coordinated by a group consisting of:
•A representative from the Human Resources
Division
•A representative from the Research Office
•One academic from each faculty
The role of the group is to provide help and support to
those involved in the Research Coaching Programme.
This will include identifying potential coaches to meet
needs, and providing training programmes for those
involved.
How Do I
Get Involved?
To express an interest in receiving coaching or
becoming a research coach, please contact
[email protected]. Those seeking coaching
should be able to choose their own coach, in so far
as possible.
Briefing sessions will provide further detail on this, and
training sessions will be held both for coaches and for
those wishing to be coached.
The Research Coaching Scheme
is a voluntary system which aims
to bring together those involved in
research to exchange experience, and
to provide guidance and support in
achieving research outputs, including
publications, books, research grants,
or other outputs. The system is
additionally aimed at allowing emerging
researchers to plan their research
career and to develop an effective
research portfolio.
Duties and
Responsibilities of the
Research Coach
Research Coaching
Programme FAQs
What is Coaching?
Coaching provides an opportunity for experiences to
be shared on a one-to-one informal basis, providing
support to people at various stages of their careers to
develop their research outputs.
A Description of Coaching
The role of the coach is to develop another person’s
abilities. It tends to focus on achievement of a specific
outcome. The coach helps the person they are
coaching to uncover or develop knowledge /skills /
abilities so they can achieve a sustainable result. The
purpose of the relationship is helping people to help
themselves.
Who Can be Coached?
This programme is for all academic and research staff.
Because the world of research is evolving so quickly,
coaches can be anyone who has experience of any
element of research that someone else would like to
learn from.
Coaching can be of benefit to more senior or
experienced members of academic or research staff
who wish to learn about a new aspect of research,
for example, a new funding opportunity or a new
opportunity for commercialisation, or who may wish to
restart their research.
An individual could both coach, and be coached, for
different aspects of research.
What Would be Expected of Me
if I Wish to Avail of Coaching?
The aim of the Research Coaching Programme is
to help you to achieve your research goals. All you
need is to be open to learn from the other person’s
experiences.
What would be Expected of Me
as a Research Coach?
You would be expected to pass on the key learnings
of your experiences, in order to help the other person
to progress his or her research goals. Listening,
questioning, and maintaining confidentiality would be
critical. Coaches share their expertise and you may
be able to point to possible avenues of opportunity or
open doors for the person you are coaching.
How much time would be involved if
I volunteered to be a Coach?
It often takes less time than you expect to volunteer as
a Coach. A coach can be explicit about the time they
are prepared to give and this can be agreed this at the
outset.
What if the Coaching Relationship
Has Served Its Purpose?
The coaching relationship should endure for as long
as it is effective. However, the initial period should
not exceed 12 months. It is important to remember
that this is an entirely voluntary process and either the
coach or the person being coached can withdraw at
any time.
The Coach’s role is to meet with the you on a regular
basis to review progress and provide guidance. The
aim is to provide assistance in one or more of the
following:
•Linking with existing research units, centres and
institutes.
•Writing for publication.
•Helping to bring draft papers to publication.
•Targeting the most effective journals for publication.
•Strategies for preparing and submitting publications.
•Strategies for responding to journal reviewers.
•Identifying potential funding opportunities.
•Teamwork and networking around grants.
•Preparing an effective grant application.
•Where appropriate, reading drafts of grant
applications and providing constructive feedback.
•Developing a long-term research strategy.
•Identifying the most effective conferences for
presentation.
•Good practice in research supervision.
The research coach may also provide specific
guidance in areas such as authorship of publications,
issues that might develop in supervision, and in
balancing research and other duties.