Steph Bales is Director of the Research and Enterprise Office (REO) at Teesside University. Her remit includes supporting development and delivery of the research and innovation and enterprise and knowledge exchange strategies and providing professional services for all research and knowledge exchange services. REO provides support for research and commercial proposals, grants and contracts, research and enterprise development programmes for staff and postgraduate research students, research and knowledge exchange policies and statutory returns, partnership and impact development, student and graduate enterprise and business support.

Steph previously worked at Northumbria University for 12 years where she was Director for Research and Business Services, was Chair for the Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA)  for 5 years until 2020 where she championed EDI and developed the first EDI policy and was Chair of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) for three years until 2021. She has worked on various national committees including the Forum for Responsible Metrics and JISC’s Research Information Management Group and contributes to national projects such as The Value of QR and The Action Research on Research Culture (ARRC) Project.

Prior to entering the Higher Education Sector in 2004, she worked in programme and project management, communications, and teaching. She is passionate about lifelong learning and professional development to improve the careers of others.