Launching Research Faculty Leadership Development Programs

This white paper helps chief research officers take the initial steps to launch research faculty leadership development programs.

Chief research officers (CROs) have traditionally relied on recommendations from faculty and deans—as well as personal networks—to identify the best candidates to lead research teams. As competition for sponsored research projects continues to grow, leadership has become an increasingly significant factor in team success. As a result, CROs have learned that strong research abilities do not always translate into strong leadership.

This white paper helps CROs launch research faculty leadership programs. The first section provides deeper context into the evolution of research leadership and the need for specific training. The second section details a six-step process to launch a program and highlights institutional case profiles.

The case for research leadership

The lack of strong research leadership is in large part due to faculty never having been formally trained to lead research teams, either in their graduate training or professional careers. Although general faculty leadership trainings exist, few are designed to specifically address the competencies required to lead large and complex research projects.