AARHUS UNIVERSITET

TATIONpRÆSEN

AARHUSUNIVERSITET

1

AARHUSUNIVERSITET

Aarhus University- The new administration

DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH SUPPORT JOHN WESTENSEE JUNE2012

AARHUS UNIVERSITY IN BRIEF

Bachelor 17,504Master 16,395Part-time Master etc. 5,176PhD 1,891Total no. of students: 40,966IHA 2,600

STUDENTSAcademic staff 4,446Academic staff (part-time)

2,028

Administrative/technical staff

4,725

Total no. staff members:

11,199

IHA 183

STAFF

Annual report 2008

Annual report 2009

Annual report 2010

Budget 2011

Budget2012

(incl. IHA)

Million € (2012 level) 699 739 768 810 833

FINANCES


A STRONG POSITION TO BUILD ON


SITUATION BEFORE THE CHANGE Original university with 5 faculties Merged with a business school, teaching university and

two government research institutes (agriculture and environment)

Went from 5 to 9 faculties, but with no real integration and harmonisation – eg. different finance systems

No scientific integration


SITUATION BEFORE THE CHANGE IN THE ADMINISTRATION Local administrations at departmental, faculty and

university level Many generalists, few specialists and no critical mass Duplication of effort and many layers to go through

when dealing with an issue. Not a strong university profile. Faculties having local

agendas Weak links between strategy and reality


SITUATION AFTER THE CHANGE Went from 9 to 4 faculties Went from 55 to 26 departments Integration of scientific disciplines to promote

interdisciplinarity Very small administrations in departments and

faculties General administration delivered through

administrative centres managed by central administration and employed by central administration

Rector and deans share management responsibility (co-located)


GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE NEW ADMINISTRATION Allow researchers and academic leaders to focus on

core activities Handling of cases at one administrative level and two

levels at the most Specialization of functions in order to professionalize

services Ensuring a critical mass with a view to reducing

vulnerability Standardized and digital solutions to enhance

efficiency Strong focus on the wishes and needs of end users


A SINGLE UNIFIED MANAGEMENT WHERE DEANS HAVE THREE RESPONSIBILITIES


NINE AREAS OF ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIZATION

AU Strategy

AU Research and Talent

Office of the senior

management

AU Knowledge Exchange

AU Finance and Planning

AU HR

AU IT

AU Studies

AU Communicatio

n

University director

Support of 4 core

AU function

s

General administrative support


FOUR ADMINISTRATIVE CENTERS

Administrative centers

AR, ST, HE and BSSAU STUDIES

AU FINANCE AND PLANNING

AU COMMUNICATION

AU IT

AU HR

AU RESEARCH & TALENT

26 Institutes

Coherent and

responsive services

Specialized services

4 directors of liaison


EXAMPLE: AU RESEARCH AND TALENT

Administrative Center,

ARAdministrative Center, ST

Administrative Center,

HEAdministrative Center,

BSS

Back-office: Research Support

Back-office: Talent Development

Back-office: International Center


RESEARCH SUPPORTDirector

(1 AU/AUH)

IT/library (3 AUH)Secretary (1 AUH)

Strategy(3 AU)

Post Award(4 AU)

Manager of Pre Award(1 AU/AUH)

HEALTH(3 AUH/2 AU)

ARTS+ BSS(5 AU)

Science & Technology(3 AU/1 AUH)


FACTS ABOUT RESEARCH SUPPORT Started April 2002 with one person and focus on pre

award 27 staff servicing the university and hospitals and

including strategy and complex post award External funding level: 15% of total university budget –

40-50% of total research budget FP7: +200 projects, 21 ERC grants, success rates –

20% ERC, 40% cooperation, 50% Marie Curie Strategic focus from the start on ERC Attracts 25-30% of all national funding


SUCCESS FACTORS Heavy focus on users – RSO seen as team member Training of young and experienced staff Pro-active contact to researchers Experienced and highly professional staff Knowledge of local expertise Focusing of application effort – fewer proposals and

more grants Close link between strategy, proposal and project

management (project life cycle) – kind of one-stop-shop


STRATEGIC PLAN FOR PRE AND POST AWARD (MATRIX) Three types of projects

Unique, large-scale projects Complex, multi-partner projects Simple projects

Three types of phases – who does what? Idea generation Pre award Post award


STRATEGIC WORK Secretariat for research committee (dean and the four

vice deans for research) Internal funding: Interdisciplinary centers, ideas programme Research strategy: Funding, Research Management,

Excellence, Visbility, Research Environment Support strategy for researchers AU Research Forum Preparing agenda Funding initiatives and links to (international) recruitment


STRATEGIC WORK (MATRIX) Three types of processes

Political Funding programmes and visibility (6 interdisciplinary working

groups) Internal mapping (mapping through interdisciplinary groups)

Four kinds of parties Rector/dean Research committee Researchers Support office


PITFALLS Too many changes at once – almost all connections

between administrators and researchers changed Perceived to be too much a top-down process Communication internally and externally Uncertainty among administrative staff (going from

generalists to specialists) Sense of A and B class of staff


CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS Clear vision Willingness to focus resources Develop a customer approach to academics Coordinate overall strategy with local initiatives Focus on interdisciplinarity and societal challenges Short decision making structure and process Evidence-based strategy


Thank youJohn Westensee, Director, AU Talent and Research, Research SupportE-mail: [email protected]

AARHUS UNIVERSITET

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