Ways Institutions Support Research Teams | Christy Gilchrist

Research plays an extremely crucial role in generating new knowledge and innovative technologies. It also impacts the quality of teaching in the classroom. When a research team carries out any research work, they not only have to worry about the research work but they also have to take care of various logistical issues. Researchers do not always know how to approach and solve these logistical issues. This is where researchers like Christy Gilchrist play a huge role. Christy’s role is to make sure that researchers are provided with the necessary resources so that they do not have to worry about the logistical issues and can focus on research as that will benefit a number of people. In today’s episode, host Darshan Kulkarni is in conversation with guest Christy Gilchrist who started as a researcher but now focusses mainly on supporting researchers by providing resources and other services. Why is there a need to build a program to support research teams? Christy believes that education is not only limited to teaching but there is a need to expand what we know. Research institutes must provide basic infrastructure to ensure that researchers can carry out their research in an effective manner. Therefore, having a program to support researchers is critical as this will also help encourage researchers to actively participate in research projects. Also, the needs of every research team might be different. Some teams might need help with grant applications while some might need help with putting reports/budgets together. Therefore, having a platform where researchers can ask for specific guidance/help is required. Top 3 items that institutions need to focus on to promote better research culture: 1. Grant writing support: Researchers have very interesting ideas but they face difficulty in implementing those ideas as their departments do not provide them with adequate grant writing support. If a university is building a program to support research teams, they must ensure that they either hire experienced grant writers or train the existing writers so that the research does not suffer due to the researcher’s failure to demonstrate the importance of the research idea. 2. Identifying internal resources: Many-a-time, the institute fails to identify that various faculty members/professors/students etc. who might not be a part of the research team but can help with the research. For example- There can be writers on campus who can be trained to write grant applications. Therefore, the people building a program to support researchers must focus on identifying internal resources and using them appropriately. 3. Using electronic mediums in research: Researchers use electronic databases to conduct research. However, the logistical part including grant applications is still done on paper. However, there is a need to use online channels/mediums as that will ensure that all the data including grant applications, reports etc. are available in one place at a click of a button. What other items should institutions/universities focus on so that the researchers would want to carry out more research projects? Leave a comment. Don't want to miss our interviews? Sign up for our newsletter- https://darshantalks.com/ #research #innovation #learning #researcher #darshantalks Disclaimers: This discussion is provided for general educational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice, regulatory advice, or medical advice. Listening to this video or otherwise depending on discussions in this video do not, in any way, create an attorney attorney-client relationship.