Abstract

The Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is enhancing its research support to meet the increasing complexity and demands of research funding programs. This involves optimizing the entire research life cycle and fostering a supportive community of professionals.
Optimizing Research Support: TU/e is optimizing its research support by improving every step in the research process and broadening the scope of support through a Research Life Cycle model and a Research Support Network (RSN) community.
Focus on Researcher Needs: The optimization efforts are centered around the needs of researchers, aiming to maximize their time for scientific research and helping new research staff get up to speed quickly.
Key Areas of Focus: TU/e's strategy includes creating a network of support professionals, fully supporting project development and management, stimulating teamwork between academic and support staff, and providing a single point of information for all relevant topics.
Success Factors: Several simple but important success factors are driving these efforts:
• Support with a face: Information systems may be needed for efficiency and effectiveness, but support is best provided to people by people.
• Act as a partner, not as a servant: Teamwork requires close interaction and feedback between the scientific professional and the support professional.
• Support is an investment, not a cost: Focus on value.
• Reach out to your colleagues and solve challenges together: The result is better and it is more fun to do.
Continuous Improvement: Started by the project “Research Life Cycle Support”, the optimization is carried further by the Research Support Network (RSN), a network engaging all relevant topics and all support staff of the departments and institutes in the university. As part of continuous improvement, thematic sub-networks (energy, AI, health, etc.) and the RSN-Academy as a platform for professional development are two of several initiatives currently underway.
International Collaboration: TU/e would like to present and discuss these efforts with international colleagues, to explain the challenges addressed and issues overcome and serve as an inspiration, but also to gain new insights for further improvement initiatives.