Director of Research - Role and Responsibilities

The Director of Research will have delegated responsibility for the development of research and innovation in the School. The Director will play a strategic role in promoting and enabling research in the School, working closely with the Head of School. 
The responsibilities of the Director of Research will include to:

At College Level 

1. Represent the School on the appropriate College-wide fora; co-ordinating liaison between the School and the Dean of Research, the Research Committee and its sub-committees as appropriate. 
2. Represent the School with external bodies in matters relating to research. 
3. Represent the School in relation to arrangements for, and governance of, cross-school research centres and institutes. 
4. Represent the School of Medicine on the Faculty of Health Sciences Director of Research Committee and liaise with the Dean of Health Sciences.

At School Level 

1. Chair the School of Medicine Research Committee. The committee membership is described in the Research Committee Terms of Reference and includes representatives of School affiliated research centres, institutes and affiliated clinical services.  
2. Develop a research strategy for the School in consultation with the School Executive, taking due regard of College policy. Submitting the research strategy to the Dean of the Faculty and Dean of Research for noting. 
3. Facilitate co-ordination of School and College research policy and liase with the Dean of Research.  
4. Make recommendations on the formal establishment of research groups/centres and/ or  continuance or cessation of activities in research groups or centres to the Research Committee of the School. 
5. Make recommendations regarding the resource allocation to research in the School of Medicine to the Head of School and School Executive. 
6. Report on School of Medicine research funding activity to the School Executive and Head of School.

Research

1. Respond to the Dean of Research and represent the interests of the School of Medicine in relation to new initiatives and research proposals. 
2. Develop strategic initiatives to increase high level funding success rates, particularly of early to mid-career researchers.
3. Develop structures and initiatives to advise School of Medicine researchers with the development of competitive research plans
4. Communicate research funding opportunities and highlight strategically important funding schemes to School of Medicine researchers and the School Executive.
5. Liaise with the Director for Policy and Communication to communicate School of Medicine Research to a broad audience in society.
6. Develop policies for research governance within the School of Medicine in collaboration with the Head of School and School Executive in line with College policies.  
7. Ensuring that the School has active research seminar programmes. 
8. Facilitate student engagement in research through the establishment of a student research committee.

Innovation 

1. Supporting and advising School PIs on Intellectual Property (IP) ownership issues and on IP income maximisation. 
2. Acting as an information source on campus company formation and liaison with Trinity Research and Innovation. 

Appointment 

The Director of Research will be nominated for appointment by, and will report to, the Head of School. The term of appointment will normally be two years, renewable for a further two, and commencing on the day following the end of Trinity Term of the relevant year. The Director will be a full-time member of the academic staff of the School and will be appointed from among those on the Associate Professor grade or above. Nomination for this appointment should be submitted to Council and Board for approval in the normal way. The Director will be an ex-officio member of the School Executive.