Research culture
Source: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/about Parent: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/masters
We are building a kind, collaborative and open research community, because a supportive environment makes exceptional research possible.
Defining research culture
Research culture is a broad term that, according to the Royal Society definition, encompasses the behaviours, values, expectations, attitudes and norms of our research communities.
Recognising and rewarding our researchers at the Research Culture and Research Impact Awards is just one of the ways we are endeavouring to foster a thriving research culture. Openness, integrity, collegiality and leading by example are among the shared values we champion.
Highlights from the Research Culture and Research Impact Awards
Mahmoud Bakar Maina: I won the Outstanding Early Career Impact award
Joanna Smallwood: I'm part of a team that won the Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration Award.
Charlotte Rae: I won the award for Best Commercial Impact
Dominique Makowski: I won the Openness in Research Award
Tom Wright: I'm delighted to have won the Research Award for Interdisciplinary Impact
Ali Lacey: We won the Ethical Research Award.
Katherine Blackadder: I was excited to win the Professional Services Impact Champion award.
Mahmoud Bakar Maina: So winning this award means many things to us. For one, it helps in increasing the visibility of this work, which is so so important, especially for an early career researcher like myself, because it means perhaps recognition from funders, from the top players in the field, which means more collaboration and eventually more impact towards this work that we are undertaking.
Tom Wright: We're delighted to receive this award because it helps us develop our work with teachers across Britain.
Dominique Makowski: This award is a fantastic recognition for us because it shows that the University of Sussex doesn't only value the research output per se, but also all the ground work that makes science possible.
Ali Lacey: because it really underlines, I think, the university's commitment to the research process and not just to outcomes and results.
Charlotte Rae: The university provides fantastic support for us as academics to get out there into the real world.
How we are making changes
Our research culture team have already funded many exciting projects to bring initiatives to fruition, enable collaboration and solve problems. We are also working to celebrate examples of great culture in practice, including in depth case studies, news articles, events and awards. Our Research Culture Steering Group guides our programme and our enabling plan details the practical tasks based on four priority areas.
Our Research Culture highlights are:
- helping to advance Open Research at Sussex, including funding theOpen Research Technology Hub and supporting our institution in delivering the UKRN Open Research programme
- supporting a range of projects led by academics to kick-start collaboration through our open call in 2024
- organising and delivering our annual Summer of Research festival
- supporting the Sussex Researcher School to rollout new supervisor training
- supporting the development of a Women's Leadership Academy working with Dr Elizabeth Rendon-Morales.
For further information, view a full list of funded projects.
[### Our research culture enabling plan
Learn more about our four priority areas and the Research Culture Steering Group](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/about/standards/enabling-plan)
[### Supporting research and innovation
Research and Innovation Services sits at the heart of research and knowledge exchange activities at the University of Sussex](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/about/research-and-enterprise)
[### Our research ethics and standards
The University of Sussex is committed to promoting and upholding the highest quality academic and ethical standards\ in all its activities
](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/about/standards)
Research culture case studies
[### Dr Dominique Makowski
Dr Dominique Makowski: Our Openness award winner tells all about his groundbreaking tools for Open Science](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/about/standards/breaking-barriers-research)
[### Dr Joanna Smallwood
Our Collaboration award winner on the interdisciplinary power behind her shared project, the Andean Bear Research Action Group](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/about/standards/ecuadorean-andes)
[### Dr Deeptima Massey
Demonstrating how people across our research community can provide an invaluable contribution towards a thriving research culture.](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/about/standards/transforming-research-culture)
Meet our team
Our small but mighty team have a broad range of experience. We are continuously communicating and collaborating with professional services staff and academics across the university to make sure that enhancing research culture is a priority. We are here to listen. If you have any thoughts or ideas about improving research culture at Sussex, please get in touch!
Dr Lorna Hards
Senior Research Culture Consultant
Lorna has worked at Sussex since 2020, initially developing collaboration and impact in Social Sciences through the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (having earlier managed the IAA at Birmingham and Oxford). Lorna took on the new challenge of Research Culture in 2023 and is keen to make research at all career stages accessible to a broader range of people, as well as to support Open Research practices to build knowledge equity.
Email: l.hards@sussex.ac.uk
Eilish Purton
Open Research Administrator and Coordinator
Eilish is the Open Research and Scholarship Librarian, having joined the University of Sussex in the summer of 2024. She is keen to support Open Research across the university and provide a link between the Library’s Research and Open Scholarship team, Sussex’s academic community, and the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN).
Email: e.purton@sussex.ac.uk
Debbie Keeling
Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor Knowledge Exchange
Debbie is Chair of the Research Culture Steering group and leads the Sussex Research Culture programme. She is committed to enabling academic excellence and societal relevance, and has led major initiatives in culture, knowledge exchange, and external engagement.\
Email: d.i.keeling@sussex.ac.uk
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