Individual Research Plan
Name
Department
Name of research mentor/peer
consultant
Date(s) of IRP meeting(s)
Introduction
Your IRP is intended to provide an opportunity to discuss, prioritise, support and plan your
research
This form should be completed in draft prior to each termly meeting with your research
mentor/peer consultant, and then revised subsequent to the meeting, taking feedback into
account.
Your finalised IRP form should be submitted in the Summer Term i) as a discrete adjunct
to your appraisal document, and ii) to the Research and Enterprise Co-ordinator, for
collective review by your Departmental Research Lead and the DRKE.
Please attach your current Sussex Direct Research Profile1 to this form when providing
termly drafts to your mentor/peer consultant, and when submitting your finalised IRP in
the Summer Term.
This form is divided into three sections:
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This may be accessed via the ‘Personal’ tab, and then the ‘Research’ link, on Sussex Direct.
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Section A:
 focuses on your aims for the next five years.
 is intended as an opportunity for medium-to-long-term planning of your research
and impact profile and related career development.
Section B:
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focuses on your current portfolio and plans for the current year, as the immediate
steps towards your long-term aims.
also reviews the interim steps – and support – required to achieve those plans.
Section C:
 requires details of any research outputs, impact, and other activities that are in
progress, that not yet recorded in your (attached) Sussex Direct Research Profile.
Section D:
 provides space for you and your mentor/peer consultant to record summary
comments and action points, and to sign off your IRP.
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SECTION A: YOUR RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT - THE NEXT FIVE YEARS
1. Your research aims
This section is intended to provide a space for reflection on your research aims and
strategy, to help you priorities. .
Please write in narrative form using the following headings as a guide:
What is it that defines what you’re doing as a researcher, what you are or wish to be
known for, and why?
What are your key research aims over the next five years?
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Your aims will, of course, depend on your personal interests, your career level, and various
other factors specific to your discipline.
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Depending on these, your aims might, for example, include: leading a major project team
as a Principal Investigator; investigating specific key questions or developing wider theory
or methodology within your field; translating a research discovery into demonstrable
impact; becoming a recognised leader in your own field.
(Approx. 150 words)
2. Your projected profile
In order to achieve the aims you describe above, what will your research profile – your
publications (and/or any other outputs), areas of impact, funding, doctoral supervisions
etc. – need to look like in five years’ time? Please outline this profile. For example:

As an early career researcher, you may need to focus first more on one kind of research
funding opportunity, eg. tenders or commissions, rather than others, such as open calls.
You may also seek to work as Co-investigator with an experienced colleague as Principal
Investigator. Which sort of opportunities should you prioritise?
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As a mid-career researcher, you may need to secure funding as Principal Investigator
from one or more esteemed sources, and to demonstrate you have can successfully
conduct and publish from these projects.
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To consolidate your recognition as a leader within your field, you may need an(other)
internationally esteemed monograph, or a distinctive series of linked and high profile peer
review articles.
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If at any stage you want to increase your research impact, you may need to develop or
further grow substantial collaborative relationships with external research users or
beneficiaries, and demonstrate what they have achieved.
(Approx. 200 words)
3. Identifying priorities and overcoming obstacles - what’s going to make the
difference?
Please list the overall priorities you most need to focus on during the next five years, to
achieve the aims you’ve described above? Note: Are these the priority areas to which you
are currently giving the most energy?
Please identify any obstacles to these priorities and outline strategies to overcome them.
For example:

What would you need to do to develop some of the projects (of any kind) on which
you’re currently working into new or expanded areas of work that fit with your
research aims?

How might you create the time to make these plans happen? (This might include
planning and managing your work differently, applying for funding, concentrating
where possible the timing of your teaching delivery, planning short periods of time to
focus on writing, etc.)

Do you have any current research projects or unfinished publications that have
become a barrier to making progress on your aims? Are you trying to develop too
many areas at the same time, or taking on too many requests to do other things, on
top of your normal workload? Provide details, including possible exit strategies.

Are there any individual circumstances that are likely to reduce your ability to
produce 4 suitable publications for REF 2020, (and if so by how many)? Realistically,
what would help to mitigate these obstacles?

Are you encountering any other particular obstacles to achieving your research aims?
What would work for you to mitigate or address these obstacles?
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1) Overall Priorities
2) Strategies to overcome obstacles
(Approx. 150 words)
4.
Support (medium-to-long term)
Please outline the support you will require from others (your colleagues, line
manager, Head of School, and any other relevant person) in order to achieve your
aims, create your projected profile and mitigate any obstacles.
(Approx. 150 words)
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SECTION B: YOUR RESEARCH PLANS FOR THE CURRENT YEAR
This section asks you to discuss in narrative form your plans for the current year.
Please note, full references supporting some of the information you provide here
(eg. outputs currently under review) should be listed in your ‘stocktake’ of work in
progress in Section C.
1. Your publications and other outputs
Please outline briefly the publications (and other outputs, if applicable) you expect to be
submitted, or to appear, or on which you plan to be working this year.

Are there any planned publications that you should wrap up quickly (or even drop), in
order to focus more on the ones that you think are really going to make a difference?
(Approx. 200 words)
2. Projects and funding activity
Please describe your planned activity with respect to research projects and grant capture
for this year. This could include making new bids, work on current or forthcoming projects,
and development of work or relationships towards new project and/or funding opportunities.
Note: if you are working on an existing or forthcoming funded research project, please check
that details appear on your Sussex Direct Research Profile, to be attached to this form.
Please indicate:
 Project title, prospective or confirmed funder
 Total income and total contribution income to the School (in known or can be estimated)
 Start and end dates if known.
 Your role (PI, CoI etc.) and name, role and institutional affiliation of any collaborators.
 Research centre(s) (if any) with which the project is associated.
 Any comments about the profile, status, impact or other contributions to the field of this
project that are NOT included in other sections of this document.
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(Approx. 150 words)
3. Impact and knowledge exchange
Please outline any knowledge exchange/non-academic engagement work you are planning for
this year to develop the impact of your research beyond the academy. Please indicate where
possible the impact you are seeking to generate.
Note:
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Knowledge exchange includes e.g. partnership based and participatory engagement with
stakeholders, training and development initiatives building on your research, individual
reports for and presentations to non-academic users, media work, blogs, consultancy
and advisory work, other public engagement activities etc.
Impact should include the kind of change e.g. policy, economic or social, you are
anticipating will result from your research and knowledge exchange.
(Approx. 150 words)
4. Postgraduate supervision and management/mentoring of research staff
Please outline your current activities in this area and your plans for this year.
 Please note in particular any students you are due to supervise to completion this
year or those who are beyond their Max Date.
(Approx. 150 word
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5. Support (this year)
Please outline the support that is in place or that you require during the next year, as far
as possible in a prioritised format.
(Approx. 150 words)
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SECTION C: YOUR WORK-IN-PROGRESS
This Section asks you to provide brief details of research outputs, impact and other
research activities that are currently work in progress.
Only those outputs that are not yet recorded in the institutional systems (such as
Sussex Research Online) should be reported on this form.
All institutionally recorded outputs should automatically appear in your Sussex Direct
(formerly known as Dashboard) Research Profile. So please check your SRO entries are up
to date, and attach your current Research Profile document to this form for discussion
with your mentor for submission with your IRP for review in the Summer term.
1.
Research Outputs
Please list here all submitted, in development, and planned academic outputs (not yet
recorded in SRO), where possible providing:
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No.
A full reference (author(s), title, publisher, anticipated date).
Actual or proposed submission date
Details of open access status (gold, green, none).
Any factual information on the importance of the output.
Details of your dissemination strategy.
Your assessment of whether it is a likely or potential candidate for the next REF.
Feedback if received from REF critical friend
Reference and additional information
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
* Add more rows as needed
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2.
Impact and Engagement
Please list all key recent or current non-academic engagement you have undertaken, that
builds upon your research completed at Sussex since 1999. This should include, for example,
individual reports for and presentations to non-academic research users, pieces of
consultancy, media work, stakeholder partnership and network development, etc.
6. For each item, please give details of the activity and of the underpinning research,
as well as any evidence of actual or potential impact from the activity.
No.
Details of activity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
* Add more rows as needed
3.
Significant Environment Activity
Please list all recent and current significant activities making a contribution to the research
environment in your School (and beyond if applicable).
7. This should include, for example, workshops and conferences organised, invited plenary
presentations/keynotes, visiting fellowships, journal editorial roles, any other honours or
awards. For each item, please just provide brief summary information.
No.
Brief summary of environment activity
1.
2.
3.
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4.
5.
* Add more rows as needed
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SECTION D: COMMENT AND SIGNATURE
This section should be completed and signed by you and your mentor/peer consultant.
It useful to record here any key suggestions or actions points arising.
Please keep a copy of your signed IRP, and submit it along with your Sussex Direct
Research Profile for individual and collective review during the Summer term
Your comments
Mentor/peer consultant comments
Signatures
I confirm that this form has been completed following a full discussion of the
individual’s research aims and plans.
Signed: (Individual)
Date:
Signed: (Director of Research & Knowledge Exchange or nominee)
Date:
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