Concerns have been raised about genomic studies of autism. Most recently, the Spectrum 10 K study was paused due to criticism from the autistic community. This situation raised important questions about how the autistic and autism communities perceive genomic research. The Personal Experiences of Autism and Perceptions of DNA-based-research study…

As academic research evolves into distinct identities of specialised knowledge, institutional and paradigmatic barriers are formed between research teams, which demand enhanced research collaboration and cross-fertilisation of ideas. Drawing on the concept of cross-fertilisation, this paper adds original contributions to literature on research…

A multi-centre clinical trial involves the implementation of the same clinical protocol at several independent investigational centres. Multi-centre clinical trials may be preferable to single-centre trials, but their implementation and management is more complex. EU-funded collaborative projects involve several participating organizations and…

Newly appointed lecturers joining teaching-focussed environments can encounter significant challenges to sustain a successful research career. Some of these challenges pertain to the existing work culture and the suitability of mentoring. At the same time, success in academia is typically associated with the "academic super-hero" model…

Confirming multisite studies presents an ongoing challenge for researchers based in England. Those wishing to set up a multisite study must undergo local Research & Development review, in addition to ethical review by a Research Ethics Committee. However, both the documentation required for multisite review and the length of time it takes to…

This research study contributes to understandings of partnership approaches through an evaluation of student-staff research partnership projects that took place within a higher education institution. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with both the staff and students involved in the twenty research projects, our data were analysed to…

The purpose of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) is to judge the quality of research in the UK and on that basis to apportion to universities, in a transparent manner, differential shares in the UK's £1.6 billion pot of research funding. However, the funding process is anything but transparent! While the REF process was known years in…

Vocational education and training (VET) systems differ internationally regarding how practitioners are required to hold qualifications to teach, or undertake continuing professional development. Few require the undertaking of research into professional practice, although in some cases there are strategies to encourage and enhance this. This…

The Department of Health in England released a new health research strategy in 2006 with far-reaching implications for both health research and research management. The explicit policy shift is towards centres of excellence and away from historical block allocations of funding to National Health Service (NHS) healthcare organisations--with these…

The paper reports the findings of a small-scale qualitative investigation into academic staff perceptions of research cultures across 10 English and Scottish university education departments. The study sheds light on four interrelated issues: the nature of research cultures, perceived facilitators, perceived constraints and the emotional landscape…

A collaborative research program in auger spectroscopy at the University of Liverpool (England) involved scientists from 12 universities and research groups in 5 European countries and financed with international funds is described. The experience of the collaborators suggests how similar projects might be initiated and managed. (Author/MSE)

There exist two types of reviews the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is conducting, country reviews and thematic reviews. Although all country reviews are also thematic by nature, the focus lies more on one country and the analysis serves the specific needs of the country under review and the other member states as a…

This paper explores the implications of government funding for postgraduate research in English universities. Specifically, it focuses upon the funding model introduced recently by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The suggestion in the paper is that the operation of this model will seriously disadvantage certain parts of…