Event Details

As Research Council and other funding becomes more competitive, organisations are continuing to diversify their research funding streams in order to develop a more balanced funding portfolio and to spread risk. This requires research managers to become more involved in planning and forecasting to ensure financial sustainability of the project portfolio over time. The aim of this workshop is to provide delegates with an enhanced understanding of research lifecycle activities in the context of financial plans, budgets and forecasts.  There will be the opportunity for interesting debate amongst attendees and presenters about best practice around managing a project portfolio in the context of planning and the broader funding environment.

Topics covered will include:

• Research funding context
• Institutional context
• Cross portfolio financial considerations
• Impacts to planning, budgeting and forecasting
• Accounts
• Audits and compliance

The workshop is highly interactive and will give attendees the opportunity to meet and discuss financial topics in respect of research management with colleagues from across the sector. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understand how Universities fund research through a broad mix of income sources
• Describe the key principles of managing research project finance at the portfolio level
• Explain what an organisation should consider financially in order to maintain a balanced funding portfolio
• Understand key impacts using information available to assess financial risk across the research funding portfolio

This is a management level course particularly suitable for those who have between two to five years’ experience in a research finance role. Participants will be expected to input to discussions during the workshop and have basic accounts experience in a university environment and understand research funding terms such as TRAC, fEC. They should also take time in advance of the workshop to look at their Institution’s Financial Statements to understand how research income and expenditure is reported externally.