Research excellence

Deep dives into university research practices around the world, including supervision, community engagement, funding and publication.

AI and human collaboration concept illustration

Harnessing AI to expand scientific discovery

From drug design to climate modelling, artificial intelligence can process data at scales far beyond human capacity. Hongliang Xin argues that the future of research lies in harnessing agentic AI through human-guided discovery

Hongliang Xin

Virginia Tech

From model collapse to citation collapse: risks of over-reliance on AI in the academy

The way GenAI surfaces sources for literature reviews risks exacerbating the citation Matthew effect, writes David Joyner. Here, he offers ways to prevent AI-driven search from blunting the impact of new research

David Joyner

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

A conductor gestures with a baton against a black blackground

Be the conductor of your own GenAI orchestra for academic writing

Instead of using a single GenAI tool to create a one-note research paper, why not tune up an orchestra of machine assistants?

Aditi Jhaveri

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Beyond search: how AI agents are redefining research

AI-augmented research can speed up processes such as literature review and data synthesis. Here, Ali Shiri looks at functionality of three AI agents

Ali Shiri

University of Alberta

An academic works on a document on a laptop

What is developmental editing, and why does your scholarly manuscript need it?

Academics might find it hard to see the flaws in their work, but to be a writer is to be edited – embrace it. Laura Portwood-Stacer outlines the importance of developmental editing

Laura Portwood-Stacer

Princeton University

A guide to arts-based methods in medical research

Achieve a deeper understanding of human experiences by deploying the creative practices in research. Here’s how

Heather Spooner

University of Florida

The case for arts and humanities spotlight guide

Making the case for arts and humanities

The arts and humanities are often dismissed as an unaffordable luxury, when these disciplines underpin vital human skills. This collection explores how arts and humanities can be harnessed for the benefit of all – students, universities and wider society

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Creating a safe space for patients and public in research

How can healthcare researchers ensure that non-researchers feel comfortable to share opinions or ask questions during project meetings?

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

Microscope focusing light on a group of people

How to engage the public in research

Advice for fostering citizen science and public engagement in research

Campus contributors

Campus

Research culture begins with curiosity in the classroom

Research culture starts in the classroom, where enquiry becomes a habit and curiosity drives learning. Kashan Pirzada offers guidance on small, everyday teaching practices to cultivate it

Kashan Pirzada

Birmingham City University

A meeting takes place around a long table

How to engage with stakeholders for research that matters

For meaningful research impact, stakeholder engagement has to be genuine and built over time. Follow these tips for better collaboration

Andy Phippen, Louise Rutt

Bournemouth University, University of Plymouth

Male Asian student working on a robot arm

GenAI as a research assistant: transforming start-up due diligence

Universities are not just centres of innovation, they are also platforms for promoting the commercialisation of research. As ‘research assistants’, GenAI can open the door for ‘under the radar’ start-ups that human evaluators may miss

Tiam Lin Sze

Singapore Management University

Two female Asian fashion design students in workshop

Beyond the creative supplement: reframing the value of arts-based research

When traditional methodologies struggle to capture sensory, emotional and lived dimensions of culture, researchers can turn to arts-based enquiry. This practical advice explains how to integrate audio, visual and reflective data collection into research design

Peng Liu

Macau University of Science and Technology

How to get a four-star impact case study? Stop chasing one

Research assessment exercises have turned impact into a means to an end. Instead of writing a good story, do good work for genuine impact

Andy Phippen, Louise Rutt

Bournemouth University, University of Plymouth

How to demonstrate the worth of arts-and-humanities-based research

Express the tangible benefits of your creative work and practices, by showcasing public value

Mette Hjort

The Education University of Hong Kong

Use GenAI to slow down and reflect more deeply

University staff are under pressure to produce more with less. But what if, instead of using GenAI to save time, we took a slower approach?

Sam Illingworth

Edinburgh Napier University

An illustration of a book with coloured and newsprint rays shining out from it

Honour the university library as a creative space with an artist residency

Make your institution’s library a hub of innovation, exhibitions and community art by inviting artists to use its space. Here’s how

Darlene Maxwell, Corinne Noble, Alexandra Genova

Royal College of Art

The dos and don’ts of developing an international network in higher education

International collaborations sound impressive on paper – but most fail to move beyond initial enthusiasm and a signed memorandum of understanding. Jeremy Howick shares lessons from building a global network focused on empathy in healthcare

Jeremy Howick

University of Leicester

From library-focused project to campus-wide collaboration

A heritage trail to mark an anniversary event began life in the library, but how to extend its reach to the rest of the university? Here’s what one library team learned when they collaborated across their institution

Rachael Jones, Neal Buchanan, Carol Stewart

University of Strathclyde

Funding bid for research illustration concept

How research technical professionals can enhance research infrastructure funding bids

When technicians are empowered and supported, they don’t just contribute to best practice and equipment sustainability, they can boost bids for investment in infrastructure

Alex Laude

Newcastle University

A clear vision for university-community partnerships

Mutual respect, actively listening to each other’s perspectives and clear mechanisms to evidence impact should be the foundation of a university-community collaboration. Here’s how a project to improve local children’s eye health grew into an ongoing partnership

Leon Davies, Rachel Shaw, Guy Rippon

Aston University, Aston Villa Football Club

Campus talks: the future of doctoral research funding for arts and humanities

An award-winning historian shares insights on changes to the PhD funding landscape in the UK and how early career scholars can maximise their chances of securing support

Alice Taylor

King’s College London

Illustration of research funding concept

Finding the funding: how to support research projects of any size

How do central research offices operate, and why are they often key to securing research funding? Eleanor Nelsen explains what help is available for researchers, including training and on-demand resources

Eleanor Nelsen

Virginia Tech

Critical thinking v fake news: a case study

In this age of disinformation, how can universities embed critical thinking skills in their local communities? A face-to-face workshop could be the answer

Laura Bradnam

Birkbeck, University of London

Why employability gaps widen as academic identity deepens

The more tightly researchers’ identities bind to the university, the less ready they often feel for life beyond it. Naming two modes of working, depth and outbound, can help universities close the employability gap

Alys Kay

University of Liverpool

Connecting and empowering technical staff: lessons for universities

Technicians themselves will have many of the answers to the challenges they face and can bridge staff groups, but their roles are often siloed or isolated. These suggestions build networks and communication

John Nicolson

University of Cambridge

Advice for finding and securing research funding

Advice for finding and securing research funding

Tips for writing grant proposals, identifying the right route to funding and keeping a clear head on the journey

Kiera O’Brien, Campus contributors

Campus

Building legal resilience in Ukraine: lessons from a twinning partnership

Lessons on how a UK-Ukrainian university partnership overcame challenges presented by war, and working across borders, to produce a new legal dictionary and trusting academic relationships

Erica Arthur

University of Birmingham

Mind the gap: how an industry-university partnership brought theory into practice

Regular communication, flexibility in timelines, a willingness to look beyond academic disciplines and a shared commitment to the bigger picture kept this university-industry research collaboration on track

Xiaojun Zhai, Michael Hayes

University of Essex, Railscape

Liquid with dollar sign dropping into test tube, research funding

Who cares about this problem as much as you do?

Securing funding requires researchers to think like strategists, storytellers and coalition-builders. Nicole Akers offers advice for navigating the demanding process to win grants and turn ideas into impact

Nicole Akers

Virginia Tech

Demonstrating research excellence Campus spotlight guide image

From the lab to life: how to demonstrate research excellence

Advice on innovative and traditional methods of communicating your research and impact to different audiences

Campus contributors

Campus

Academics sit round a table, analysing documents

Write a grant proposal to win government funding

Hone your grant proposal for government funding to perfection with these tips. Yanwei Wang, Baktiyar Soltabayev and Zhumabay Bakenov draw on their experience from Kazakhstan’s funding landscape

Yanwei Wang, Baktiyar Soltabayev , Zhumabay Bakenov

Nazarbayev University

An illustration of scientists working to fund their research

Five tips to help you find non-federal research funding

Non-profit groups and industry partners can be great sources for funding opportunities. Here’s how to find the right ones and build a relationship with them

Kalene Johnson

University of Florida

How to motivate students and staff in higher education

Advice for faculty to find and maintain the motivation that they, and their students, need to progress in their work and learning

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Young female medical researcher with elderly female patient

How to conduct research involving people who may not have capacity to consent for themselves

Studies involving people who may not be able to provide their own consent to take part in research can be daunting. These practical tips offer a guide to ethical and inclusive research with this population

Victoria Shepherd, Anna Anderson, Amy M. Russell

Cardiff University, University of Leeds

Female scientific researcher in wheelchair in lab

‘Think of inclusivity as the rule rather than the exception’

Cultivating an inclusivity mindset can help university researchers demystify and embrace reasonable adjustments as part of everyday practice

Jamie Wilde

University of Southampton

Young man working on document with laptop

Why researchers should consider a narrative CV

The narrative CV moves away from the usual academic metrics of publications and grants and allows university researchers to tell the story of their journey and impact. This guide offers practical tips for writing one

Jemina Napier, Multiple authors

Heriot-Watt University

AI, copyright and the classroom: what higher education needs to know

As artificial intelligence reshapes teaching and research, one legal principle remains at the heart of our work: copyright. Understanding its implications isn’t just about compliance – it’s about protecting academic integrity, intellectual property and the future of knowledge creation. Cayce Myers explains

Cayce Myers

Virginia Tech

How to work well with industry spotlight graphic

How academia can work well with industry

Advice on how universities and their staff can maximise the benefits of academic-industry partnerships for researchers, students and society

Campus contributors

Campus

A research team discussing their findings

Why universities must lead on honest AI disclosure and how a new tool can help

Universities must bridge the gap between calls for GenAI transparency and workable standards. A new taxonomy offers a practical system to declare AI’s role in research openly and responsibly

Multiple authors

Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University, Berdyansk State Pedagogical University

An academics’ guide to policy impact

How to plan and share academic research so policymakers take notice and apply your findings to real-world issues

Laura Duckett, Campus contributors

Campus

A man sits in darkness, illuminated by a smartphone that blocks his face from view

Four questions to ask to detect false news online

Even those working in higher education can fall for misinformation. Ask these four questions to get better at zeroing in on false news

Peter Cunliffe-Jones

University of Westminster

When open data meets publish-or-perish

At every stage of the research process, critical thinking acts as a compass – it urges caution against overconfident claims and reminds us that the goal is understanding, not mere output, writes Timo Lorenz

Timo Lorenz

MSB Medical School Berlin

Critical thinking in teaching and research

Practical strategies and advice for university educators and researchers to develop and teach the skills to analyse, evaluate, understand and communicate knowledge in an information-saturated world

Eliza Compton, Campus contributors

Campus

Making global academic connections from your desk

Early-career academics don’t need senior titles or travel budgets to make a global impact. Here’s how to use what you have to build international partnerships from the ground up – starting with your inbox

Lilit Ghazaryan

National Polytechnic University of Armenia

How ‘memory institutions’ can preserve our digital future

In an era of disappearing textbooks and locked-down digital archives, here’s what universities must do to protect access to knowledge

Beatrice Murch

Internet Archive Europe

Redesigning the university library for creating and collaborating

University libraries are no longer just places of study, they are places of discovery, innovation and community. Patrick Tomlin discusses redesigning academic libraries to meet the ways that students and faculty learn and research

Patrick Tomlin

Virginia Tech

Spotlight guide: Advice for surviving your PhD dissertation

Advice for surviving your PhD dissertation

Tips for each step of researching, writing and refining a PhD dissertation

Eliza Compton, Campus contributors

Campus

Campus talks: university libraries – and librarians – that are leading the change

Learn about the efforts of US librarians to protect valuable public data from sudden erasure by the Trump administration and a pioneering project which saw a UK university partner with a local council to create a joint library that is open to anyone

David Green, Lynda Kellam

University of Worcester, University of Pennsylvania

Woman in wheelchair and young black man looking at tablet

How to meaningfully include disabled people in patient and public involvement activities

Meaningful inclusion of disabled people in research activities helps ensure the resulting findings are useful for informing healthcare delivery in the real world. These practical tips explain how to do it

Anna Anderson, Amy M. Russell

University of Leeds

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