Abstract
Throughout the funding lifecycle, researchers are required to complete a number of administrative activities, from gaining permissions from HEIs to submit an application to completing regular funder/sponsor monitoring reports on research progress, for funding organisations, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), research co-ordinating bodies (e.g., the Clinical Research Network) and data platforms (e.g., Researchfish). However, there has been growing concerns about the value of these administrative activities and the bureaucracy in research and HEIs and whether these additional administrative activities are appropriate and proportionate or create unnecessary burden. As yet, it is unclear which activities/processes take up time and effort and the level of effort/burden that could be regarded as ‘avoidable’ or ‘unnecessary’ from a researcher perspective. It is therefore essential to explore and gain an understanding on the process, perceived effort or burden experienced by researchers as a consequence of completing these activities in the funding lifecycle.
To do this, we will carry out a two-part mixed methods study exploring researcher perspectives using an online survey (study 1) and follow-up interviews (study 2) with researchers who have completed the application submission and are fulfilling or have fulfilled monitoring requirements for funding from UK-based funding organisations. We will conduct quantitative analysis on closed-question responses and content and thematic analysis on open-text responses from an online survey and interview transcripts.
Through this study we will be able to identify activities in the process that are commonly considered to be an unnecessary burden or duplication across organisations and identify opportunities to enhance communication with researchers on the reasons for these processes and activities.
Aim
The two-part study aims to explore and build an understanding on the process, effort and burden involved in the research funding and delivery pathway from the researchers’ perspectives. The research question is asking what, for researchers, is necessary and unnecessary effort in obtaining funding and fulfilling research monitoring requirements?
We will do this by conducting an online survey (study 1) and interviews (study 2) with researchers who have applied for and successfully obtained funding from the UKs largest funding organisations to explore and understand:
i. What are the processes involved in preparing and submitting research proposals(including PRDM) across the different organisations?
ii. What are the processes involved in fulfilling monitoring requirements for research progress across the different organisations?
iii. What does ‘unnecessary effort’ or ‘burden’ mean?
iv. Which activities/processes take up time and require unnecessary effort?
v. Whether researchers understand why the information is needed from the different organisations and what happens to the information provided
vi. Whether researchers obtained and felt supported in preparing and completing these processes
vii. What changes to the system could reduce burden?
Intended Impact of the Study
Published interview study is available at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0291663
Project Lead
Project Collaborators
Amanda Blatch-Jones
Katie Meadmore
Alex Recio-Saucedo
Hazel Church
Simon Fraser
Contact Project Author
Keywords
URL
Research Area(s)
Study Design(s)
Data Collection Method(s)
Participant(s)
Status
Stage
Study Funding/Support
Other(s): Funding organisation