Our mission - London Metropolitan University

Our mission

Derived from wider University ambitions, the University’s Strategy - 2019/20-2024/25 commits us to:

To establish an improved infrastructure to support high-quality and high-impact research
To grow the volume of world-leading and internationally excellent research that we undertake
To improve the visibility of our research and the impact it has on some of the biggest challenges facing society today
To ensure our staff with research workloads, and those promoted via the research route, reflect the diversity of our staff
To challenge and support our Centres and Groups to drive research by supporting their communities in the round, from providing PGR training and recruitment to promoting collaboration and supporting bidding.

To achieve these five goals, we have undertaken to drive the following objectives:

To make the best possible REF submission we can in 2021
To significantly increase the proportion of our academic staff with ring-fenced time to conduct research
To strengthen the infrastructure that helps all of our students to succeed
Create a visible and vibrant University-wide taught postgraduate community
Embed impact and knowledge exchange within our research culture and exploit external relationships
Take forward plans to tap into the full breadth of research funding
To increase postgraduate recruitment and improve completion rates.

Work is already underway in many of the key areas outlined in the University Strategy. During the first year of the new University Strategy, we, the holders of these roles, have:

Set up a new Research and Postgraduate Office to support staff to achieve their ambitions
Established a Graduate School for research and professional doctorate students underpinned by excellent training and support and led by a senior professor
Reviewed and strengthened our research centres, have supported the formation of groups to frame new, interdisciplinary and/or cross university initiatives
Established numerous university-wide dissemination initiatives, such as the Interdisciplinary Research Forum and the Research Showcase, as well as supporting many School- and Unit-based fora
Developed initiatives to build a stronger PhD community through co-operation with students in our new Postgraduate Research Student (PGR) Forum; and in a refreshed and expanded PGR training programme
Formed a Peer Review College to support high quality funding bids
In liaison with our Communications Office, we have sought to maximise the means to communicate the full range of our work to the widest possible audience, improving our web presence in all facets, from our Research and knowledge exchange front pages, through our London Met Lab, individual research centres and groups, and so on
Maintained and enhanced our new research mentoring scheme and Research Leave initiative across Schools to support staff’s research development
Made research and digitised special collections material available via open access platforms (Institutional Repository, Special Collections web pages)
Enhanced our support for PGR students via designated study spaces and improved access to digital content.

Our REF submission in March 2021 includes 25% more staff full-time (FTE) than was included in 2014, although we also will submit in a reduced number of units (seven in total). This will determine the basis, both intellectual and financial, from which we proceed.

As we continue to pursue the goals outlined in the University Strategy, our approach across Research, Impact and Knowledge Exchange has evolved and developed in multiple related and new directions. Going forward our key mission is to develop greater strength, depth, breadth, intensity and inclusivity in all seven of our strategic goals (above).

Our Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy represents that evolution and how we wish the process of development to continue.