Meet the Team: The College Research Support Office (CRSO)

In the CRSO our aim is to take the ‘bureaucracy’ out of bidding for research and consultancy funding. We understand that applying for funding can be a daunting process, and it often has a language all of its own: “what is a pathway to impact?” “Where can I find out public liability insurance details?” The CRSO is here to answer all these questions and more.

The team offers support to academic staff across the College and is headed up by Carol Solley (Research and Knowledge Transfer Manager) with two sub teams within the Office looking after 2 Schools each.

James Sharp (Research and Knowledge Transfer Officer) and Liz Potts (Research and Knowledge Transfer Administrator) take care of the Birmingham Business School and School of Education, while David Evans (Deputy Research and Knowledge Transfer Manager) and Helen Lambert (Research and Knowledge Transfer Administrator) are responsible for the Schools of Government and Society and Social Policy.

The team is supported by Karen Bevan (Projects Assistant) and also includes Janet Plowman, PA to the College Director of Research.

Clockwise from top row: David Evans, James Sharp, Helen Lambert, Liz Potts, Karen Bevan, Carol Solley.

In a typical day, you will find members of the Research Support Office carrying out a wide range of duties. While Carol is attending a University meeting on the REF, David and Helen may be assisting academic colleagues with compiling a budget for their research project and drafting some sections of their application. James and Liz, meanwhile, could be working with a new member of staff to help formulate their bidding strategy for the next year and identifying funding opportunities that match their expertise and interests. All the while Karen will be liaising with other teams across the University to ensure projects are set up in a timely fashion whilst Janet helps the College Director of Research manage their increasingly hectic schedule.

The CRSO provides support in the ‘pre award’ phase of a project, meaning that our duties end once the research itself begins. This means that we enjoy a tremendous amount of variety in our work, and it would not be uncommon for a member of the team to spend a morning discussing global value chains with researchers in the Department of Management before moving on to a meeting about breaking down racial barriers in education with colleagues in the Centre for Research in Race and Education (CRRE) in the afternoon.

If you would like to get in touch with the CRSO team you can find us in the Muirhead Tower (2nd Floor West) or visit our intranet page for our contact details and further details of the services we offer: 

James Sharp, Research and Knowledge Transfer Officer