Research Culture: Environments & Accountability
Wednesday, 22 February 2023, 10 am – noon GMT
This was part of the series of regular free webinars from the UK Research Integrity Office on research integrity and related issues.
This was a joint webinar of UKRIO and GuildHE.
The UK’s Concordat to Support Research Integrity expects accountability for creating a research environment that supports good practice and accountability for breaches of integrity. How does this requirement affect individual researchers and research organisations? In this webinar from UKRIO and GuildHE, expert drew on their experiences in fostering environments that enable the best research, empower researchers, and respond appropriately when standards are not met.
SPEAKERS
Reflections on what researchers are accountable for
Dr Verity Postlethwaite, Research Associate, Japan Research Centre, SOAS University of London
In this short talk, Verity discussed a series of reflections from conversations with people in academic, student, professional services and industry roles about accountability. She highlighted notable trends in responses, in particular thoughts on accountability being influenced by the career stage of the researcher, the environment rather than the discipline the researcher is in, the researcher’s demographic and standpoint on research, and then exposure to other industries and their ways of being accountable. Verity raised these points to further reflect on differences in opinion around accountability and how this phrase can be better understood and operationalised. To watch Verity’s presentation please click here.
Cultures of Research within a small specialist institution: cultivating cultures of doing
Professor Maria Delgado, Vice Principal (Research and Knowledge Exchange), The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Much of the guidance produced in relation to research is fashioned with large multi-faculty institutions in mind. By looking at some of the challenges and opportunities involved in nurturing research within small specialist institutions, Maria Delgado looked at the ways in which monotechnics can promote research practices with inclusivity, integrity and accountability at the core. To watch Maria’s presentation please click here.
Responsible Leadership
Dr Nadia Soliman, Research Associate, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London. To watch Nadia’s presentation please click here.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Professor Maria Delgado, Vice Principal (Research and Knowledge Exchange), The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Maria Delgado is an academic, critic and curator with a longstanding interest in issues of research leadership and assessment. She has published widely in areas of Spanish-language theatre and film and has collaborated with a range of industry partners on film programming and curation. She was Chair of Subpanel 33 (Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies) and Deputy Chair of Main Panel D for REF 2021 and was on the founding Council of Research England (2018-20). She is a member of the UK Committee on Research Integrity.
Dr Nadia Soliman, Research Associate, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London
Nadia is a Jennie Gwynn post-doctoral career development fellow in the Pain Research Group led by Prof Andrew Rice. Her research focuses on the development and use of evidence synthesis methods for neuropathic pain translation between preclinical and clinical research. Her aim is to better connect research silos using evidence synthesis methods to increase understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain and the strength of the preclinical and clinical evidence for pharmacological interventions.
Nadia’s PhD supervised by Prof Andrew Rice, and co-supervised by Prof Malcolm Macleod, CAMARADES, University of Edinburgh and Prof James Thomas, Eppi Centre, University College London focused on developing automation technologies to improve the feasibility, efficiency and accuracy of preclinical systematic reviews while addressing neurobiological questions of interest. Of note was the use of machine learning for study selection, the development of a semi-automated data extraction tool, and the use of crowd science to facilitate research conduct that is rigorous, interpretable, open, and transparent. Tools and methods that she will continue to use and develop in her research.
Nadia’s background includes a BSc (Hons) Pharmacology (University of Liverpool, 2007), an MSc in Drug Discovery Skills (King’s College London, 2015) and MRes in Cellular and Molecular Biosciences (Imperial College London, 2017).
She also has an interest in sharing her military experiences and knowledge of leadership development to engender a more positive research culture.