About Research
Cambridge is a research-intensive University: you are expected to make research your top priority and to spend 50% of your time on research.
This means that you must give careful thought to managing your time effectively and to planning all your other commitment in the way that best suits your way of working.
Also, you need to be strategic and focused.
- Block ‘research only’ days in your timetable.
- E-mails: switch off notifications and check your e-mails at 2 to 4 set points in the day. For other tips, see the short guide to e-mail management
- Plan carefully for your sabbatical.
- Seek your mentor(s) advice.
See below for more information to help you.
Research Office
The University's Research Office provides you with useful and practical information about identifying and applying for research funding together with the management of research funds.
The Research Office is organised into School Teams which provide dedicated support in the School Offices, Faculties and Departments. The four School Teams are:
Research professional funding opportunities
The comprehensive Research Professional Funding opportunities database offers you the opportunity to search for research funding in all disciplines from a wide range of sponsors in the UK and overseas. All funding information in the database is pre-screened for eligibility for UK scientists. The database features an easy-to-use interface and powerful searching and customisation tools that are designed to assist you in your search for research funding and is free of charge for all University members.
Principal Investigators: Leadership development
Principal Investigators (PIs) are expected to lead and manage a research team, secure new research grants, liaise with stakeholders, publish, respond to institutional issues and agendas, and maintain and develop their own research expertise. Frequently they simultaneously carry out a range of teaching and administrative duties too.
Follow this link for more information about leadership development for principal investigators.
Employment and career management
These pages briefly set out practical steps which PIs and supervisors of researchers should take when recruiting, employing and managing researchers.
Training resources
Ever-evolving tools to support research and speed things up mean it is essential to keep up-to date with technology and what it has to offer. Equally, it is important to develop professional and interpersonal skills.
The University Training Booking System offers a central point to search for and book onto a variety of training courses for personal and professional development run by a number of University training providers, such as PPD, the University Computing Services, the University Library, the Occupational Health and Safety Service.
Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs). It will replace the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) and will be completed in 2014. The REF will be undertaken by the four UK higher education funding bodies. The exercise will be managed by the REF team based at HEFCE and overseen by the REF Steering Group, consisting of representatives of the four funding bodies. The REF will be a process of expert review and will carry out assessments in terms of:
- The quality of research outputs
- The wider impact of research
- The vitality of the research environment
Impact
Impact has been described as the ‘fourth wheel’ needed to propel an academic career.
The film represent a visual reconstruction of rock art images created by fisher-gatherer-hunters around c. 3460BC-2900BC at Zalavruga, in estuary of the Vyg River, which flows into the White Sea in Northern Russia. The reconstruction is based on the use of modern technology which allows us to negotiate visual understandings of prehistoric carvings. (with thanks to Dr Liliana Janik, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge and K. Szczesna)