About PRISMs

The term "PRISM" (Professional Research Investment and Strategy Manager) describes someone within the university or similar environments who is predominantly working to enable the delivery and growth of large research investments. PRISMs have a diverse range of positions and responsibilities and the term captures the role breadth and distinguishes them from the established roles of “Research Managers / Research Development Managers” who are often pre-award focused, and “Project Managers” who can be working to a clearly defined brief and focused on deliverables.

The members of the UK PRISM network reported a wide range of different job titles, such as programme manager, network manager, centre manager (doctoral training centre / research centre), project manager, hub manager, institute manager, business manager, collaboration manager, knowledge exchange manager, and scientific manager.

Some PRISMs are also active researchers who undertake research enabling activities as part of their role.  PRISM roles therefore span a large spectrum of expertise and experience with a broad range of job requirements, and can be grouped mainly as

• PRISM roles which require research expertise and an academic background;
• PRISM roles which require purely administrative, project management and operational skills.

The UK PRISM network community consist of over 390 members from ~50 institutions. The majority of PRISM network members identify as female (93 %), are highly educated (50 % PhD, 25 % MSc), and have a significant amount of work experience (60 % > 11 years). 54 % of the PRISM community have an educational background in a STEMM and 37 % in a HASS subject, the majority of the 9 % "other" holds a degree in both areas.

The breadth of their skills and experiences enables them to navigate and utilise the various cultures to build communities within the research ecosystems they manage and lead in tandem with their academic counterparts. They effectively bring together the day-to-day operations, project work, and strategic growth activities.

The PRISM role, if developed and supported effectively, can add significant value to research and training investments, expanding them, and identifying and delivering new opportunities for researchers and institutions.

However, more than 78 % of the highly educated and experienced PRISM community members are employed on fixed term contracts (or 'open-ended' with fixed-term funding associated with their roles).

In an ever-growing interdisciplinary, multi-partner, research and innovation landscape, PRISM roles play a crucial part in the success of research teams. The PRISM remit spans a range of areas, including, external relationships and community management, specialist scientific/technical expertise, business development, project/finance/event/people/space management, PhD student training, pastoral duties, marketing and outreach/public engagement.

As such, PRISMs work across a range of specialist teams within their organisations, including industry/partner engagement services, research office, doctoral college, technical services, legal, press office, digital and marketing, library, estates, executive groups, etc., and of course the academic environments they are embedded in. They manoeuvre a wide range of stakeholder groups and their respective work cultures and pressures.

Breadth of knowledge, experience, and skills, alongside the ability to form strong networks bringing together all relevant expertise for a successful research team, are key to these roles.
PRISMs require, among other characteristics, high levels of analytical and strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, resilience, communication skills, as well as recognised leadership traits such as empathy and persuasiveness to enable successful research communities.

PRISM roles have significant growth potential, are dynamic and evolve with the success and needs of their research team. Yet, there are no development frameworks and pathways for progression and the majority of the highly skilled and experienced managers are employed on contracts subject to external funding. 

The UK PRISM Network was founded by Dr Anja Roeding in April 2020 to address three interlinked key challenges around PRISM roles:

1. Career progression & Professional development
2. Recruitment & Job security
3. Recognition & Belonging

As of 1 January 2023, the Network is led by Dr Isabella von Holstein, Imperial College London.

What do PRISMs do?

PRISMs are a powerful community of professionals who can positively influence research culture as they are sitting at the heart of research teams and their activities, from staff/PhD student recruitment and induction to communication/marketing and inclusive event management. They are embedding and living EDI policies in their research initiatives and act as driver and first point of contact for a positive research culture.
Breadth of knowledge, experience and skills, alongside the ability to form strong networks bringing together all relevant expertise for a successful research team, are key to these roles.
PRISMs require, among other characteristics, high levels of analytical and strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, resilience, communication skills, as well as recognised leadership traits such as empathy and persuasiveness to enable successful research communities.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• managing resources and ensuring timely delivery of objectives;
• identifying ways to improve productivity and efficiency and reducing delays;
• ensuring programme operations comply with internal control policies and legal requirements;
• supervising and coordinating activities of the parties involved in the programme;
• resolving issues internally and externally;
• compiling and writing progress reports and giving presentations to internal and external stakeholders;
• creating new initiatives according to the strategic objectives of the research team.

PRISMs connect people and processes, drive research development, dissemination, communication, and ensure that research investments are utilised to their full potential.

PRISMs act as arbiters to unite individual research agendas into a collaborative approach, and drive opportunities for building teams that are larger than the sum of their parts, rather than opportunities for individual output.

PRISMs build new connections internally and externally to foster ideas and income generation across Higher Education Institutions (HEI), governmental agencies, industry, and the general public.

PRISMs add their expertise around vision statements, people engagement and community building, governance, research communication, event management and more to grant applications.

PRISMs bridge between the day-to-day running of their research ecosystems and the development of long-term strategies to grow the respective research area locally, nationally, and internationally wherever possible.