A new initiative to reshape how research is delivered in the UK has been awarded £4.5m from the Research England Development (RED) Fund.
The Research Professional Futures (RPF) project, led collectively by Teesside University, ourselves, Imperial College London, and the University of Warwick, will deliver a sector-wide transformation in how research is supported, structured, and sustained.
Lorna Wilson, our Managing Director of Research and Innovation Services, is part of the project's leadership team. She is also the current Chair of UK Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA).
Research professionals are the specialist staff who play a vital role in delivering high-quality, ethical, and impactful research – from research development and strategy to public engagement, knowledge exchange, and research culture. Their roles have historically lacked visibility, recognition, and clear career pathways.
At the heart of the project is a commitment to inclusive, collective leadership. The four universities are working in close partnership, drawing on their diverse institutional strengths and shared values to co-lead this ambitious programme.
The project will be professionally led and research-informed, with research professionals leading each work package, and the research components being delivered by the research-on-research team at the Department of Education, University of Oxford, led by Professor Alis Oancea, and Research Consulting, a specialist consultancy firm focused on research, based in Nottingham.
Together, they are championing a new model of collaboration that values all contributors to research excellence – especially the often-overlooked community of research professionals.
Spanning four years, this project will co-create a strategic blueprint for both research professionals and institutions across the sector to realise the full potential of this workforce, improve efficiency, and foster a more collaborative research culture.
The four key objectives are:
The collaborative project involves a wide range of partners, including UK Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA), the UK's network for Professional Research Investment and Strategy Managers (PRISM), the National Centre for Research Culture and Jobs.ac.uk at Warwick, the University of Oxford, and Research Consulting Ltd.
It is expected that more than 750 people and 75 organisations will take part in interviews, surveys and focus group sessions, with results enabling institutions to develop and sustain a skilled and motivated workforce prepared to meet evolving research demands.
Findings will also support individual research professionals in establishing clear professional identities and pathways.
A core component of the success of RPF is the establishment of a Commission, which represents a diverse array of stakeholders from across the research system, including leaders from across the sector. The Commission is chaired by Professor Shearer West, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Leeds.
The Research Professional Futures project marks a pivotal moment for UK research. By establishing a national Commission of sector leaders, we are bringing together the voices and expertise needed to reshape how research is supported and delivered. This initiative recognises the vital contributions of research professionals – those often behind the scenes but essential to research excellence – and provides a strategic blueprint to elevate their roles, foster collaboration, and futureproof the UK’s research ecosystem.
The project’s inclusive governance model reflects its values: the leadership team is made up entirely of research professionals from the four lead universities, whose experience of championing and advocating for research professionals positions them to deliver transformative change through RPF.
They include: Stephanie Bales, Director of Research and Enterprise at Teesside University, a previous Chair of both ARMA and the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS); Dr Isabella von Holstein, a Senior Research Community Manager at Imperial College London and current National Lead of the PRISM Network; Dr Rika Nair, a Research Culture Manager at the University of Warwick and Lead of the Research Culture Enablers Network; and Lorna Wilson, who is Managing Director of Research and Innovation Services at Durham University and current Chair of ARMA.
The RPF project aligns closely with UKRI’s People and Talent Strategy and responds directly to sector-wide calls for improved parity of esteem and routes to progression for all contributors to research.
It will deliver practical tools, data, and guidance to help institutions across the UK invest in and empower their research professional workforce.
The project begins in January 2026 and will run until December 2029. Its impact will continue through an open-access digital platform, hosted by ARMA, and a national community of practice to sustain meaningful change.
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