Dr Aidan Enright, Research Administrator in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Hi Aidan, much of the work that enables research to happen isn't always visible. What does supporting research activity across the School of Humanities and Social Sciences involve in practice?

Supporting research activity means helping to create the conditions that allow researchers to focus on their work. In practice, that involves a huge range of activities behind the scenes, from managing funding applications and budgets, to ethics application processes, to coordinating committees, supporting REF and research impact activities, and ensuring researchers and postgraduate researchers (PGRs) can access the systems, resources and guidance they need.

No two days are quite the same. One moment I might be helping a PhD student navigate a thesis submission, the next I could be processing research funding requests for an academic, or I could be working with colleagues across the central service teams in finance, HR, digital learning and research to solve a problem for an academic or a PGR student. Much of the role is about connecting people, processes and information so that research can progress smoothly, whether that's processing an expense claim, completing a right to work check, updating content on a website, or supporting induction.

What knowledge, relationships and expertise do you and colleagues draw on to help researchers navigate their work successfully?

A lot of our expertise comes from understanding how the School's administrative systems sit alongside the University's systems and polices and the wider, external research landscape. We need to know how different processes fit together, such as research ethics approval, and then conducting the research, the recruitment of research assistants and how that mirrors university policies, or PGR student milestones and any changes in circumstances that might arise such as extensions and suspensions of studies.

Researchers appreciate having someone who can either do the administrative side of research for them or help them navigate it, or if all else fails point them in the right direction when challenges arise. It is rarely about having all the answers yourself; it is about knowing where the answers can be found and helping people reach them.

Looking at the work you do across the year, what are you most proud of that people elsewhere in the University might never see?

What makes me most proud is seeing academics and PGR students actively conducting their research and working together for the common good. This is most evident at the School's events, which I help organise.

It is particularly rewarding to watch a colleague whom I have supported speak passionately about their research and the impact it is having beyond the University at an Away Day that I have helped organise. Equally, there is great satisfaction in supporting PGR students with the organisation of the School's annual PGR conference, where they develop highly valuable skills in event planning and delivery.

Effective research support also extends to governance and decision-making. When committees meet regularly, with clear agendas, accurate minutes and well-defined actions, they are better placed to make informed decisions and help the School achieve its strategic objectives.

What people do not always see are the countless conversations, checks, reminders, processes and pieces of coordination that take place behind the scenes to make these outcomes possible. Much of research administration involves anticipating issues, bringing people together, and ensuring that colleagues have the support, information, and resources they need to succeed. While this work is often invisible, it plays an important role in enabling the research, teaching and impact activities that are central to the University's mission.

Sam Nicholls, Senior Lecturer in Music in Leeds School of Arts

Hi Sam, can you tell us a little about your work and some of the partnerships you've developed across the music sector?

In 2017 we were fortunate enough to be invited to be part of delivering the UK Live Music Census organised by researchers from the Live Music Exchange research group, a collaboration across the universities of Edinburgh, Newcastle and the University of Turku (Finland).

The intention of the census was to help measure live music’s cultural and economic value, discover what challenges the sector is facing and inform policy to help it flourish. We led a team at Leeds Beckett that went out and about to live music events occurring on a single day (Thursday 9th March), from pub gigs to massed choirs to arena concerts.

Alongside developing a directory of live music venues in Leeds, we compiled a database of music businesses and organisations, and, working with Leeds City Council, held a symposium at Leeds Town Hall in November 2017 to provoke discussion around the potential for music in Leeds.

This was the basis for the last nearly ten years of work, and allowed us to build partnerships across the whole music sector. We initially built a talent development programme - Launchpad - in partnership with organisations across the city, specifically with Futuresound, Jazz Leeds, Inner City Electronic, Black Music Festival and others, in 2019. In 2020, this evolved into working across the whole of Yorkshire, and it now includes numerous partnerships, including The Sesh / Polar Bear in Hull, Rotherham Music, Wakefield Exchange, Live at Leeds and more.

To deliver this, we established the not-for-profit organisation, Music:Leeds, now Music Local / Launchpad. We have delivered numerous programmes in partnership with a whole range of organisations. We run Leeds Jazz Festival which convenes over 20 partners including venues, promoters and artists, and have a schools’ programme which works closely with music services across the region, including ArtForms and West Yorkshire Music Hub.

What goes into building and sustaining a successful partnership outside academia, and what have you learned about making those relationships work over time?

It takes a lot of time, talking and trust to build successful partnerships. It’s important that ambitions are aligned. Patience is massively important, as while aims and ambitions may be aligned, there might not immediately be opportunities to act upon it - through project delivery, expanded research or similar.

So, waiting for the right time for all organisations to benefit from them is vital for making them work, sustaining them and having long term success and impact.

What difference have these partnerships made for students, colleagues and the wider music community?

The main benefit is through establishing Music:Leeds and Launchpad, there is a vehicle to work effectively with partners and then pass benefit on. Launchpad has become a tangible further development opportunity for graduates, providing them with ongoing career and creative development support.

Our most notable graduate success so far has been Jessie Marcella, who received support from Launchpad, signing to our in-house electronica label analog horizons, before signing to anjunabeats and now Mercury KX. Adult DVD and The 113 have both also benefited from Launchpad guidance and partnership with the Northern Music Export Office, with Adult DVD performing at SXSW Austin in March 2026 followed by CUEW Festival Japan, and The 113 performing at Minami Wheel in Japan in October 2026.

It can also facilitate opportunities for students and staff. This September, we hosted a production music writing camp with Universal Music, which gave 13 students the opportunity to work with Launchpad-supported artists on professional briefs provided and supported by Universal Production Music.

In January this year, through working with UK Music and Discover Creative Careers, we hosted a music industry careers day for 200 young people (aged 14-18), with Leeds Beckett staff hosting workshops including electronic music production, studio recording and podcasting.

Aidan and Sam, from your very different perspectives, what do you think makes the people and relationships behind successful research and knowledge exchange work so well?

Sam

It’s really about alignment and patience. There are lots of relationships that could have great potential, but circumstances don’t always lend them to come to fruition.

With music and the wider culture sector, there are a lot of deep rooted relationships, and when projects have been successful it is often due to all parties going above and beyond to do something that has a much broader impact, that wouldn’t otherwise be possible in traditional or institutional frameworks.

Aidan

Research and knowledge exchange are team activities. Although the outcomes may often be associated with individual researchers or projects, there is usually a much wider network of people supporting that success.

I think many of the contributions made by research support staff go unnoticed because they are often facilitative in nature. When a funding application is submitted successfully, an academic can undertake the research that underpins an article they wish to publish, helping them achieve their publication goals and contribute to the REF. My role in helping achieve these types of outcomes is important, but I would not be able to do what I do without the help of the School secretaries, course administrators, the School manager and Team leaders, colleagues in the University's central services, academics in positions of leadership both internally and externally, and our external partners in the Leeds City Region and further afield.

The strongest relationships are built on trust, communication and a shared commitment to helping others achieve their goals. Researchers, professional service staff, external partners and students all bring different expertise, and the best outcomes happen when those perspectives are valued equally.

From my perspective, successful research support is about being approachable, collaborative and genuinely interested in finding solutions. When people feel supported and respected, they're more willing to share ideas, ask questions and work together. Those relationships may not always be visible, but they're often the foundation on which successful research and knowledge exchange are built.

About the Festival of Research and Knowledge Exchange

LBU colleagues and postgraduate research students are invited to book now for the 2026 Festival of Research and Knowledge Exchange, taking place on Tuesday 24 – Wednesday 25 November at Headingley Campus, and submit your nominations for the Research and Knowledge Exchange Awards. The deadline for submitting Awards nominations is 5pm on Sunday 11 October 2026.

LBU Research Voices is a blog series that celebrates the experiences, journeys, and expertise of our LBU research community. Through this series, we explore the knowledge our researchers have gained, not just from their work, but from their lived experiences, career paths, and the communities they engage with. By sharing their stories, we hope to inspire learning, reflection, and connection across our LBU research culture.

Explore the full LBU Research Voices series to read more stories from across our LBU research community.