Supporting individual professional development
As well as organising training events and offering networking opportunities through our events, discussion groups and email lists, ARMA offers some support for individual professional development. In particular we offer support for individual mentoring relationships between members, and we have the Joan Hughes bursary scheme.
We offer a mentoring programme to assist members develop as research management professionals. Mentoring is a one-to-one relationship between a more skilled and experienced person and a less skilled and experienced person. It provides a framework within which to share knowledge, skills and experiences, and to grow and develop in the process. A mentoring relationship is based upon encouragement, constructive comments, openness, mutual trust, respect and a willingness to learn and share. Almost any aspect of professional practice can be mentored!
Members using our programme to find a mentor can enjoy and benefit from a professional relationship with an experienced research manager from. Members have the opportunity to draw on the experience and guidance of someone outside their own workplace, within the friendly and supportive ARMA family. Experienced members who act as a mentor can gain the satisfaction of helping to develop the career of another ARMA member, and enjoy and benefit from new perspectives on their own work as an R&D Manager; they are also helping to make research management and administration a true profession. It's an on-going process: some members act as a mentor to others, and have a mentor themselves.
The Joan Hughes bursary scheme, named after the first Chair of the Association, offers funding, usually up to £500, to individual members to support a professional development activity which they would otherwise be unable to undertake. Possible uses of these funds include attendance at an overseas conference, undertaking a piece of research into an aspect of research management and administration, whether in the UK or overseas, or as a contribution towards the cost of an overseas study visit. The recipient of the bursary is required to provide a report on their activity - please read the scheme Guidelines for further details. Any member wishing to apply for a bursary should complete the Application Form, describing the proposed use of funds, the amount applied for and the timing of the planned activity.
ARMA is keen to consider other ways of supporting individual professional development for members, such as by facilitating work shadowing or exchange arrangements, and members are encouraged to contact Ian Carter to discuss their ideas for other development activities.
