Worldwide, the ground of higher education and the nature of the health services, universities and schools where we do our research, are shifting sands beneath our feet. The landscape of nursing and midwifery education and research and the academy that many of us entered, possibly many years ago, is scarcely recognisable in today’s globalised university and ‘knowledge economy’ (Girot 2010). Unless we are prepared to acquiesce with some deeply uncomfortable ideas such as the creation of ‘teaching-only’ institutions or the tolerance of cultures where “a lack of scholarly vision, strategy and urgency in individuals and departments” (Clark and Thompson 2015, p.3) is the norm, then the obligation on nursing schools and academics to meaningfully and productively engage with, develop and be actively involved in research and scholarship is inescapable.
One major incentive driving (the external research review that is being presented and discussed) was the need to increase external research grant funding. Research funding in Sweden mirrors what most universities have experienced. Government funding for research is reducing while academics are expected to win more external grants. (This external review) was however, also determined to improve our school's research culture and performance for a broader good than simply funding and money.
Following the review and with ongoing support and involvement from our external reviewer and consultant the school continues to help staff appreciate and respond to the mercurial realities of the ‘world’ of research within Higher Education. This participatory presentation will help attendees understand and respond to changing funding mechanisms, growing research performance imperatives and emerging scholarship metrics that directly impact on the everyday work of academic and clinical researchers and how a School and its research efforts must operate.
Purpose:
The aim of this presentation is to highlight the importance of external faculty research review for our schools of nursing, midwifery and allied health, for our universities and for research units in our major hospitals.
It would be fair to say that few schools or researchers currently welcome the prospect of any external review or scrutiny of their research activities. There is a view that such external scrutiny may constitute unwanted and unwarranted 'audit intrusion' at best and a hugely expensive waste of time, resources and energy at worst.
In this session we counter this perception and offer a view and model of external research review that is enabling, catalytic and beneficial for researchers and for their organisations.
Methods:
Expected learning outcomes: Session participants will: gain insights into the mechanisms and benefits of external scrutiny of research culture; develop a deeper understanding of the need
for faculty research development and appreciate the barriers that schools face and the enabling mechanisms likely to help both staff and school to succeed.
Results:
We will present some of the key review findings from the major European university reviewed and focus especially on the lessons for the "school of nursing and allied health"
Conclusion:
We will share processes and key lessons from a large European university's Evaluation of research culture and performance. Leaders of the school of nursing and health care involved, together with one of the external reviewers will reveal and discuss key lessons for the School, its nursing and health care researchers and for the global community of nursing and health care researchers. The presentation will also involve participants in challenging conversations regarding the need for external scrutiny, improving faculty research culture and enabling faculty adaption to the changing university world.
The external peer review process was determined to improve the university and school research culture for a broader good than merely 'money'; involving; improved education, greater research involvement, increased community engagement and more meaningful research co-production.
This presentation will help participants respond to research performance imperatives directly impacting on the everyday work of nurse educators and school leaders. We can no longer assume that as academics or researchers, that we will be 'left alone' to pursue whatever ideas take our fancy. Our research and its potential results, impacts and influence will be under even closer scrutiny in future.