ARMA Awards 2025: Shortlist for Innovation in Research Management

The Innovation in Research Management award recognises an individual or team that has invented, modernised or transformed new or existing approaches to further and enhance their organisation’s work in the breadth of our professional areas.

The Awards Working Group selected the following nominations for the shortlist:

• Fraser Rowan, Lindsay Middleton, Neil McIntyre: University of Glasgow
  The University of Glasgow Team, Fraser Rowan, Lindsay Middleton and Neil McIntyre have conceptualised, developed, and grown Partnership Catalyst: a unique design-led knowledge exchange infrastructure that is able to transform the processes by which universities engage non-academic organisations to address regional and global challenges. Working in partnership with researchers at The Glasgow School of Art, the team has pioneered a combination of design methods with innovative KE practice-based research to overcome identified barriers to interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration. This approach is now recognised across the University as a highly effective way of tackling complex challenges and discovering, through co-creation, new solutions.

• Dr Elizabeth Gadd: Loughborough University
  Under the volunteer leadership Elizabeth Gadd, the INORMS Research Evaluation Group has developed a number of innovations in support of more responsible and equitable research assessment. These include the SCOPE Framework for responsible research evaluation: a simple and practical way for research managers to implement the ideals of responsible and equitable research assessment, alongside the More Than Our Rank initiative: a novel, narrative alternative to reductive quantitative global university rankings. Both innovations have had a significant impact on national and international approaches to research assessment, providing research managers with practical ways to deliver on their responsible principles.

• Evidence and Analysis Service led by Christopher Daley: London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
  LSE’s Evidence and Analysis Service is a pioneering initiative providing a robust evidence base for strategic research and innovation (R&I) decisions, distinct from traditional policy compliance or REF functions. The service focuses on understanding LSE’s R&I ecosystem, monitoring the external landscape, maximizing the impact of internal funds, and leading responsive projects. It also leads a national community of practice in R&I evidence and analysis. Led by Christopher Daley, this service ensures that the research office is a critical partner in strategic decision-making, demonstrating how research managers can be practitioner metascientists through comprehensive data analysis and reporting.

• Dr Alíz Owolabi: University of Edinburgh
  Dr Alíz Owolabi, from the University of Edinburgh’s College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, has revolutionised research management through innovative, inclusive practices. She established a panel membership register and guidelines enhancing equity in demand management, and created an ECR observer programme to expose junior researchers to peer-review processes, promoting transparency. Her influential workshops, notably Inclusive Practice in Research Support, have expanded her impact University-wide. Alíz’s participation in ARMA and sector-wide events underscore her leadership in fostering improvement and collaboration across the research management sector.

The winner of this year’s award will be announced on Wednesday 18 June as part of the ARMA Awards Ceremony. The Awards Ceremony will take place during the ARMA Conference Gala Dinner at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Registration is currently open for  the annual conference and gala dinner.