Research Strategy
OUR STRATEGY
Queen’s has a proud history of conducting innovative, impactful, and world-leading research that has positively changed people’s lives. As part of our institutional Strategy 2030 our ambition is to further enhance our impact by undertaking research of the highest international standing that addresses societal and planetary challenges, changing the world for the better. We will continue to nurture a vibrant research culture, seeded by research led education and built upon curiosity, discovery, innovation, and enterprise, dedicated to social benefit.
OUR RESEARCH GOALS
As part of Strategy 2030 we have developed four key research goals, focusing on the areas which we believe will be central to our success, and the success, growth and well-being of the communities we serve.
STRENGTHEN OUR RESEARCH PORTFOLIO
We will enhance our research culture, investing in areas of research strength and particularly our translational expertise, working across disciplines and sectors to address local and global challenges, incorporating the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our strategic research themes will focus on:
- A transformative and sustainable economy
- Secure connected intelligence – AI and the data revolution
- Healthy living for all
- Human environment relations
- Inclusive and cohesive communities
ENHANCE OUR RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS
We will expand our reach through co-operation and strategic collaborations, building research partnerships locally, nationally, and internationally. We will work with partners to address the shared challenges across these islands, with UK and Ireland-wide initiatives and the ‘levelling up’ regional agenda of the UK Government, where Northern Ireland has so much to offer.
ADDRESS REAL WORLD NEED
We will address real world need and priorities through intensive engagement and co-creation with potential users of research output and innovation across universities, and with business, industry, and governments. We will enhance our translation through partnership initiatives and specifically capacity and capability, such as the Belfast Region City Deal and the wider Regional Growth Deals.
FOSTER A CREATIVE COLLABORATIVE AND INCLUSIVE CULTURE
We will champion a culture that attracts, develops, and nurtures outstanding research talent, inspires our students and rewards excellence. Our researchers will benefit from a range of development opportunities to enable them to thrive in their research, advance their careers and reach their potential as future leaders. We will invest in our researchers to develop international excellence from our postgraduate research students, through early career researchers and Fellows, to international research leaders.
We will achieve these goals by focusing our efforts on three key areas:
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PEOPLE
A supportive, team centred, ambitious research community, founded in inclusivity and fairness
Objectives
Actions
Foster an inclusive, collaborative, entrepreneurial and supportive research community
Engage in national and international PGR funding opportunities
Enhance researcher excellence across all career stages
Establish a Queen’s Postdoctoral Development Centre
Integrate and improve support, training, and mentorship/coaching along the researcher lifecycle
Evolve the Queen’s Fellowship Academy and deliver the Illuminate Fellowship Scheme
Tailored coaching/mentoring for mid-career researchers
Evolve and embed the new Research Culture Action Plan
Ensure team-based contributions are recognised and rewarded
- RESEARCH QUALITY
A dynamic research ecosystem founded on integrity excellence, curiosity, and enterprise
Objectives
Actions
Ensure our research is founded upon integrity, excellence, and ambition
Focus on quality funding to promote sustainability and quality outputs
Enable our research with high-quality infrastructure, systems, and services
Fulfil commitment to Concordat to Support Research Integrity
Support interdisciplinary and disciplinary research structures
Launch an Ideas Forum and institutional Agility Fund
Support infrastructure development
Establish a new Conference Fund
Enhance integration between research and enterprise support services
- PARTNERSHIP AND PLACE
A collaborative research ethos founded on agile engagement and enduring partnerships locally and globally
Objectives
Actions
Realise more meaningful and enduring partnerships, connecting nationally and globally
Launch a Global Research Action Plan with a focus on delivery against UN SDGs
Responsibly maximise research value and impact, for wider societal benefit, at a local and global level
Support development of linkages with strategic partners
Deliver research and innovation activity in partnership with business and industry
Widen local engagement activities
Embed Research Engagement Hubs and complementary activities
Launch the Enterprise Strategy and Innovation Centre
Deliver next phase of Belfast Region City Deal