Building research culture intentionally

In this blog, Professor Paula Kersten, Executive Dean of the School of Health, Sciences and Society at the University of Suffolk, and Deputy Chair of the Research Strategic Policy Group at the Council, explores the purposeful development of a research culture at the University of Suffolk, highlighting how they built an inclusive, supportive, and sustainable environment for research from the ground up. It reflects on the value of investing in people, fostering curiosity and confidence, and embedding research into practice and collaboration.

Having worked in a research-intensive university earlier in my career, I experienced an environment where research was already deeply embedded into the culture and expectations of academic life. At the University of Suffolk, a much newer university, I have found something different and more valuable: an institution that intentionally builds a research culture from the ground up.

As a university that is only 10 years old, we are proud of how our research environment has developed. In REF2021 we submitted to just one Unit of Assessment (not health), while for REF2029 we will be submitting under UoA3. This growth is not just about increasing research income and outputs. It reflects the gradual development of a supportive and sustainable research culture, in an institution that is much less hierarchical and set in its ways.

The focus on People, Culture and Environment in REF2029 feels particularly relevant to our context. Research culture is not simply about metrics or publication volume. It is about creating an environment where curiosity and inquiry are encouraged, where people feel confident to take their first steps into research, and where development is recognised as an ongoing journey.

At the University of Suffolk, we have intentionally invested in people. This includes supporting colleagues to undertake MSc and doctoral qualifications, offering internal and external mentoring, providing researcher development opportunities, and protecting research time through workload allocation for those with significant responsibility for research. We also work closely with external partners, such as NHS Trusts, charities, and businesses, helping to ensure our research remains connected to real-world challenges and impact.

Importantly, we value quality over quantity and celebrate achievements at every stage, whether that is a first conference presentation, a collaborative project, or a publication. In a newer university, people do not need permission to become involved in research or prove themselves worthy before contributing. This approach creates a culture where confidence can grow incrementally and where emerging researchers feel supported and included rather than intimidated.

For me, this is one of the advantages of being a newer institution. We have the opportunity to shape our culture intentionally, combining a “grow your own” approach as well as attracting more experienced researchers. By embedding research into teaching, practice, and collaboration, we are building a culture that is inclusive, developmental, and sustainable for the long term.

This is perhaps best reflected in the journey of one of our colleagues who began her journey with us initially on secondment in 2001, before we had University status, then progressed her academic career with a teaching qualification, Master’s degree and Doctorate, and is now one of our Professors. Her experience demonstrates how an inclusive and supportive research culture can help individuals grow in confidence, capability, ambition and success over time: “I have had the opportunity to grow and develop as an academic and researcher, I have experienced encouragement, support and mentorship and I have not felt that I needed to move to another institution to progress” Ruth Strudwick, Professor in Diagnostic Radiography.