About the Project

Reimagining Governance for a Flourishing Research Culture asks new questions about how our research governance processes and decision-making enable all to flourish. By governance we mean the structures, rules, norms and actions that are put in place by the University to ensure accountability and to support successful research. This project centres on the effectiveness of processes: on the sense of involvement in decision-making, on the training of our staff to make good decisions, and the attention to language and behaviours that engender a positive research culture.

The project will deploy novel approaches to research governance at department, faculty and institutional levels, to explore and co-design innovative pilot projects aimed at improving research governance in our departments and research institutes, and to share best practice across the sector. 

This exciting initiative is part of a wider programme of activities to transform research culture at Durham. Click the following link for more information on our other research work: Flourish@Durham.

The project involves two strands, as well as an evaluation component. 

Strand 1 - Ethnographic Exploration of Research Governance in Departments and University Research Institutes

Strand one involves a nine-month ethnographic exploration of research governance and its relationship to research culture across four departments and two Research Institutes, beginning in September 2024. Our aim is to examine communication, practice and behaviours, and use an action research approach to co-design pilot projects to address challenges identified within structures of research governance. 

By the end of strand one, we aim to have gained a deeper understanding of governance across the University, identifying new, creative ways to improve decision-making, enhancing a sense of belonging and agency, and generating greater trust in how decisions are made.

Strand 2 - Shadow Committees 

In strand two, we will be employing shadow committees as a research exercise to determine what is and is not effective in formal governance settings. We aim to see if the process of implementing shadow committees for key research committees improves inclusivity in research governance, enables greater autonomy in effective decision-making, and enhances connectedness between staff and leadership.

Evaluation

Alongside this, we will be running a concurrent evaluation strand which both evaluates the impact of our interventions, and also, crucially, how we run the project. 

We hope to generate findings which will help to shape best practice across the University, strengthening and improving our existing approach to research governance, thereby ensuring the work has a positive legacy.