Research Ecosystem

This symposium will bring together members of the Research Alliance to hear from contributors addressing key aspects of the research ecosystem including: REF, Early Career and Mid Career Researchers and the research community post COVID.

Our contributors will explore the key challenges and opportunities facing researchers and research leaders in the present climate.

We will be asking our contributors to give us insights in four key sessions:

From Environments to Ecosystems
What is needed for an effective research ecosystem for our disciplines for the longer term?

Early Career Researchers
To what extend do ECRs have the opportunity to engage with and contribute to the institutional research environment?

Research Community post-Covid
How do we re-engage with research after being forced to focus on other priorities during COVID?

Contributors:

• Professor Anne Boddington, Chair of the Research Excellence Framework (REF)2021 Sub Panel for Art & Design
• Professor Martyn Evans, Director, Manchester School of Art
• Dr Judit Bodor, Baxter Fellow Curatorial Practice, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, University of Dundee
• Professor David Cotterell, Professor of Fine Art, Sheffield Hallam University
• Professor Deborah Sugg Ryan, Associate Dean (Research), University of Portsmouth
• Edward Dimsdale, Head of Graduate School, Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts
• Alex Christiansen, Doctoral Researcher, Loughborough University
• Caroline Locke, Senior Lecturer, University of Derby

Contributor Biographies

Professor Anne Boddington, Chair of the Research Excellence Framework (REF)2021 Sub Panel for Art & Design: History, Practice & Theory
Anne is the Emeritus Professor of Design Innovation and has previously held leadership roles at Kingston as PVC for Research, Business & Innovation, for Cultural and Civic Engagement and as Dean of Kingston School of Art. In 1998 I was appointed as the founding Head of the School of Architecture & Design, subsequently becoming Dean of the College of Arts & Humanities at the University of Brighton. I am Visiting Professor at Birmingham City University. Anne is the current Chair of the Research Excellence Framework (REF)2021 Sub Panel for Art & Design: History, Practice & Theory.

Professor Martyn Evans, Director, Manchester School of Art
Martyn is a product designer and design academic with 20 years research, teaching and leadership experience and is Director of Manchester School of Art. Interested in the strategic role that design commands in a variety of settings, his research explores the approaches designers use to conceptualise and communicate the future. With broad experience of design as future making, he has presented on this and related topics, nationally and internationally. He is a reviewer for a number of research councils and was appointed as a strategic reviewer for the AHRC in 2017.

Professor Deborah Sugg Ryan, Associate Dean (Research), University of Portsmouth
Deborah is Professor of Design History and Theory and Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Creative and Cultural industries.  Deborah has held lecturing posts at the University of Wolverhampton, University of East London, Open University, University of Ulster and Loughorough University. I was Senior Lecturer and then Associate Professor of Design History and Theory at Falmouth University from 2007-16. Deborah is also an experienced television and radio presenter, contributor, consultant and public speaker.

Dr Judit Bodor, Baxter Fellow in Curatorial Practice, University of Dundee
Judit Bodor works internationally as a curator, educator and producer over the last twenty years. She has been teaching in UK higher education institutions since 2005 and held curatorial, research and producer positions in artist-led art organisations such as Artpool Art Research Centre (Budapest), East Street Arts (Leeds) and WAVEparticle (Glasgow) since 2000.