West Midlands
The West Midlands Regional Group was established to provide a platform for ARMA members based within the West Midlands region to connect, address challenges and share good practice.
Membership in the Group is open to all ARMA members living or working in the West Midlands region, encompassing colleagues across all professional levels, institutional types, and areas of specialism.
Champions:
Our Regional Group champions are responsible for the activity and resource base of the group.
Amy Barlow, Senior Research Development Support Officer, Birmingham City University
Amy Barlow is a Senior Research Development Support Officer at Birmingham City University, working in pre-award support across domestic, EU and international funding programmes. She works with a diverse range of academics, from early career researchers to established professors, to develop competitive proposals and build collaborative projects. She has worked in higher education since 2019 and in research support since 2023.
Amy has lived and worked in Birmingham nearly all of her life. As a ARMA West Midlands Regional Group Champion, she is excited to contribute to the regional research management community and is committed to building an inclusive and supportive network across the West Midlands.
Carole Harris, Associate Director (Research Culture, Governance and Compliance), Research & Impact Services, University of Warwick
Carole Harris has worked in research support at the University of Warwick for seventeen years, in a variety of roles, across research systems, strategy, culture, and governance. She has collaborated with colleagues in different teams to develop systems, processes, and training to support pre-award, impact, and ethics, and has led on policy and strategy development. Carole is currently Associate Director (Research Culture, Governance and Compliance), within Research & Impact Services. As part of her role, she acts as Secretary to the University’s Research Committee. Carole is passionate about the development of Research Professionals, with her team supporting the Research Professional Futures project. Carole is involved in ARMA as a trainer, particularly for the Qualifications Programme.
Nathalie Maillard, Head of Research Operations for the Colleges of Engineering & Physical Sciences and Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham.
Nathalie oversees an extensive portfolio spanning pre‑award development, due diligence, compliance, regulatory governance and research contracting. She shapes high‑quality and strategically aligned research operations across two research‑intensive Colleges, ensuring robust processes that enable world‑class research to thrive.
Nathalie works closely with senior academic and professional services leaders to refine research infrastructure, strengthen operational capability and drive effective, responsive and data‑informed research support. Drawing on more than two decades of experience across research‑intensive Russell Group environments, she has led major operational transformations, enhanced research cultures and environments, delivered complex strategic programmes, and supported institutions to increase research quality, influence and competitiveness.
Marie Randall, Research Manager, Research Development Team, Historic England
Marie Randall has worked in various research management roles (pre-award, post-award, and impact) since 2016 for the universities of Birmingham, Keele, Reading and Birmingham City University primarily working with arts and humanities research. She is Research Manager for Historic England (an Independent Research Organisation) working mainly on post-award but covering all aspects of research office activity.
Previously, Marie worked in the museums and heritage sector for 15 years. Marie has lived and worked in Birmingham most of her life, has worked across the West Midlands region, and has been an ARMA member since 2019.
If you are an ARMA member, login and follow this link to sign up to the Regional Group mailing list and to access the resources.