Research Institute for Health and Social Change

What are Research Institutes?
What is RIHSC?
Can I be employed by the RIHSC?
How do I join RIHSC?
How will my category of membership be decided?
Can I belong to more than one Research Institute?
What can I expect from RIHSC?
What resources can RIHSC provide?
What resources should my department provide?
How do I get published through RIHSC Publishing?
Where is RIHSC based?
What events does RIHSC sponsor?
How do I join the Research Institute’s mailing lists?
What can I do for RIHSC?
Who are the principal contacts in RIHSC?
Where can I get more information about RIHSC?

What are Research Institutes?

Research Institutes form a central part of the University’s Research Strategy, which is itself part of the University’s Strategic Plan 1999-2010.

The University’s research activity is no longer organised around a large number of Units of Assessment, as in the past. Instead ten Research Institutes have been formed, within which smaller research centres and groups can operate. Some Research Institutes are within or coterminous with a Faculty but most include staff from multiple Faculties. It is the University’s intention that resources specifically available for research will normally be channelled through Research Institutes. Departments and Faculties will continue to support research with other resources.

What is RIHSC?

RIHSC brings together an impressive array of research activity from across the University, in partnership with field-based colleagues and organisations. In doing this, it spans developments in professional practice development and evaluation, processes and experiences of social inclusion, policy development and social change, and critical theoretical social research.

We are committed to work that:

• is trans/interdisciplinary and collaborative empirical and theoretical work, at the forefront of critical understanding, knowledge, professional practice, policy development and human experience
• focuses on local, regional, national and international issues
• promotes the enhancement of the health, well being and the participation of people marginalised by the social system, through research practice and dissemination
• contributes to developments of novel investigative laboratory based techniques for the understanding of disease processes
• underpins the scientific knowledge of diseases, treatment and experiences related to ageing and infection in order to improve therapy and well-being
• targets different levels of experience and change, including explorations of ideology, culture and community; complex systems; professional practice, intervention and development; group and interpersonal behaviour; physiological, neuropsychological and molecular processes
• makes explicit issues of diversity and difference
• contributes to developments in practice and policy in the broad fields of health, social care and social inclusion
• adopts a pluralistic approach to methodology, ranging from critical, qualitative and theoretical analyses to quantitative and experimental studies
• is built on strong research traditions, successful experience of training, support for researchers and a lively research environment.

This is the first time that these diverse areas of research have been brought together and we look forward to future opportunities to strengthen and extend our collaborative research in the future. We hope you will continue to be interested in the work of RIHSC and to join with us in this new venture.

Can I be employed by the RIHSC?

No. All staff are appointed to an academic unit such as a department or school and these provide line management structures.

How do I join RIHSC?

If you think your research falls within the remit of RIHSC, you are eligible to be associated with the Research Institute. There are three categories of membership, identified with reference to the following criteria:

• The quality of your research output
• Your record of generating additional income to support research.
• Your standing in your research community.

Core members of the RI: In each of the above cases your outputs will be high, as defined by the RAE 2008 returnable at level 1 – recognised as being of national or international quality.

Associate member: You will be research active and your work will have the potential to be rated ‘high’ within the next 2-3 years. Again this is with reference to the RAE.

Affiliate member: you wish to become recognised as research active but are at an early stage of so doing and thus require academic support and research mentoring.

To express an interest in joining the RI, contact the RIHSC Administrator, rihsc@mmu.ac.uk.

How will my category of membership be decided?

Initially, a decision will be made on the basis of evidence of your research outputs. You will be asked to provide information about publications, research income and indicators of esteem.

All research output information will be held within the RI and MMU’s Research, Enterprise and Development (RED) databases. It is proposed that membership categories are reviewed by the RI Director and Centre Co-ordinators on an annual basis and negotiated with each member of staff. Any member of staff who thinks their membership category is incorrect may initiate a review with the RI Director and then the Director of the RED office.

Can I belong to more than one Research Institute?

Whilst you are able to be included in the activities of as many RI’s as you want, you should only be core member of one RI.

What can I expect from RIHSC?

With well over a hundred academic members the Research Institute for Health and Social Change provides access to depth of expertise in many different areas. As member of a research centre you can expect to have easy access to other academics with similar interests. Membership of a centre is the best way to meet like minded researchers.

Three areas of particular focus are reflected in our research centres.

• Health, Rehabilitation and Psychology
  To promote, support and undertake interdisciplinary research, in the fields of: health and health services, disability and rehabilitation, learning disability and applied behavioural science.

• Social Change and Well being
  To engage in research which informs policy and practice, enhances effectiveness of organisations, celebrates diversity and works within a social justice framework to enhance people's lives, health and well being.

• Qualitative Research, Subjectivity and Critical Theory
  To develop innovative empirical and theoretical approaches to the study of subjectivity, and to elaborate constructionist, feminist and psychoanalytic ways of facilitatin critical reflection on cultural processes, academic production and research practice.

Note: RIHSC was host to a fourth centre for Biomedical Science, but this has now been incorporated within IRM Research Institute

What resources can RIHSC provide?

Capability funding: RIHSC has available funds for developing research in Professions Allied to Medicine and Social Work. Calls for applications for financial support are issued periodically. For more, contact PAMs RCF co-ordinator Juliet Goldbart or Social work RCF co-ordinator: Carolyn Kagan.

Administrative support: the RI Administrator (rihsc@mmu.ac.uk , Tel: 0161 2472774). The Administrator may be able to help Core and Associate members with grant applications in addition to the support provided by the Research Development Unit. We may also be able to help provide and distribute information.

Seminar information: Marilyn Barnett (m.barnett@mmu.ac.uk, Tel: 0161 2472569) can distribute information about seminars that are taking place.

Secretarial support: A limited amount of typing support for research may be possible for core members. Please contact the RI Administrator in the first instance with any request.

Advice and mentoring: If you would like advice or support for research please contact one of the centre co-ordinators or the RI director

What resources should my department provide?

Support for affiliate members should be provided by academic departments. Financial support for all members might be available through staff development budgets and it should be possible to negotiate some time for research through annual workload arrangements. If you have difficulty getting support from your department, please contact either of the centre co-ordinators, the RI director or your department's research co-ordinator.

For more information about your department's support for research contact your Head of Department or Departmental Research Co-ordinator

How do I get published through RIHSC Publishing?

RIHSC can assign ISBN and ISSN numbers to reports, papers and books that you would like to publish.

In the first instance, send two unbound copies to the RIHSC Administrator with a request for an ISBN and suggestion of the price you want charged to those who request copies.

If accepted, one of these copies will then be returned to you with the official ISBN detail inserted just after the front cover and a back cover suggesting the ISBN and price. If appropriate your work will also be included in the International Standard Serial Number for RIHSC’s occasional reports and research papers.

It is then for you to have the work printed. You MUST then return seven bound copies to the RIHSC Administrator for legal deposits with the British Library and others. When requests for copies are received you MUST provide these at the price suggested, or declare the publication ‘out of print’.

Where is RIHSC based?

RIHSC is based in the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education and can be found in Room E53 on the Elizabeth Gaskell campus.

What events does RIHSC sponsor?

The Research Institute hosts a large number of seminars and an annual conference.

How do I join the Research Institute’s mailing lists?

When you join as a member of the RIHSC you will be included into the mailing lists of both the centre of your choice and the RIHSC’s members list. You are welcome to send group emails and can expect to receive mailing that vary from detail of opportunities to bid for funding, to opportunities for project collaboration, to more general support as you develop your research skills.

In addition to the members-only lists, anyone with interest in our work can join the “RIHSC mailing list” and hear about more generic topics, such as the details of seminars. If you would like to join our mailing list send an email with the subject “Subscribe - RIHSC” to rihsc@mmu.ac.uk

What can I do for RIHSC?

Notify us of your areas of interest, so that we can better direct opportunities your way.

Let us know how we can help you. Is there anything we're not doing you would like to see? We welcome suggestions and as we develop we are keen to encourage all our members’ interests.

Send details of your new publications to us. Especially those that might be considered in the Research Assessment Exercises will help us better argue the case for departmental and university support for research and for the amounts of time made available to you under workload management systems.

Who are the principal contacts in RIHSC?

Professor Carolyn Kagan - Director of the Research Institute and Social Work capability fund co-ordinator

Email: c.kagan@mmu.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 2472563

Dr Juliet Goldbart - PAMs capability fund co-ordinator
Email: j.goldbart@mmu.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 2472578

Professor Mark Slevin - Deputy Co-ordinator BS
Email: m.a.slevin@mmu.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 2471172

Dr Julie Marshall - Co-ordinator for HRP
Email: j.e.marshall@mmu.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 2472581

Professor Erica Burman - Co-ordinator QRSCT
Email: e.burman@mmu.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 2472557

Dr Paul Duckett - Deputy Co-ordinator QRSCT
Email: p.duckett@mmu.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 2472552

Professor Dan Goodley - Co-ordinator SCWB
Email: d.goodley@mmu.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 2472526

Dr Rebecca Lawthom - Deputy Co-ordinator SCWB
Email: r.lawthom@mmu.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 2472559

RIHSC Administrator
Email: rihsc@mmu.ac.uk
Tel: 0161 2472774

Where can I get more information about RIHSC?

For more information please contact:

RIHSC Administrator,

E-mail: rihsc@mmu.ac.uk

Tel: 0161 247 2774
Fax: 0161 247 6842

Room E53d, RIHSC, Elizabeth Gaskell Campus,
Manchester Metropolitan University,
Hathersage Road,
Manchester,
M13 0JA