A major partnership including Queen’s University Belfast has been awarded £3.4m to create a Development Network with about 500 research and innovation leaders from across the UK.
The second phase of the Future Leaders Fellows (FLF) Development Network will support 300 researchers and innovators appointed via rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the Future Leaders Fellowship scheme – UKRI’s flagship funding programme – as well as up to 200 additional fellows.
Unique leadership training, mentoring, and engagement opportunities
Members of the network will have access to unique leadership training, mentoring, and engagement opportunities, designed to help them maximise the impact of their research and spearhead cutting-edge innovation.
Building on Queen’s position in the UK as the most entrepreneurial university, the partnership brings together specialists from organisations in the academic, commercial, and third sectors including the University of Edinburgh, Vertical Future, Cardiff University, the School of Advanced Study, University College London, the University of Cambridge, the University of Glasgow, the University of Leeds, Vitae, and the Universities Policy Engagement Network.
The collaboration will run alongside the first FLF Development Network, established in October 2020, which supports 250 research and innovation leaders, including the first three rounds of appointed FLFs.
The second phase of the FLF Development Network includes Rounds 4-6 of UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowship scheme and up to 200 additional research and innovation leaders nominated by the research councils.
It will deliver novel training and development opportunities, catalyse knowledge exchange externally and internally, and promote collaboration building and networking opportunities to help fellows navigate the changing research and innovation landscape. The programme is funded for three years.
The Fellowships were created in 2018 to establish the careers of world-class research and innovation leaders across UK business and academia.
Emma Flynn, pro vice-chancellor for research and enterprise in Queen’s University, said: “We are excited to have the opportunity to work with this exceptional community of research and innovation leaders over the next three years and engage with them in a vibrant range of outstanding training and innovation activities.
Boosting regional economic impact
"Empowering the next generation of innovation leaders will be vital component in boosting regional economic impact and entrepreneurship as we tackle society’s grand challenges.”
The FLF Development Network 2 brings together partners spanning all four nations of the UK and all sectors of the research and innovation ecosystem.
At its core is a partnership of eight universities which, collectively, host 25% of all FLFs appointed so far. They are supported by a diverse range of individuals and organisations to create a powerful network of research and innovation leaders.
In addition, the Network will offer an internal Plus Funds scheme (£300,000), designed to catalyse and grow innovative ideas for collaborative working between Fellows in the Network.
Further information cacn be found at UKRI – Future Leaders Fellowships and Institute for Academic Development