Handlingsplan for forskning, kunstnerisk utviklingsarbeid og innovasjon

1.1. Purpose

The action plan is a tool for realising UiA's strategy for 2021-2024 within research, artistic research, and innovation.

The plan is valid for the period 2023-2025.

1.2. Background

The goals and measures of the action plan are aimed at realising the following main objectives from UiA's strategy:

• Our research and artistic research is outstanding, critical, innovative, and relevant to society.
• We are a recognised partner with visibility and relevance regionally, nationally, and internationally, and UiA has a clear role as facilitator and contributor for increased entrepreneurship and innovation.

Achieving these goals is a continuous process, and this plan should complement the work of the organisation in achieving them. The measures in the plan are not exhaustive and will complement and add value to other priorities within UIA's research, development, and innovation (R&D) activities, primarily the strategic plans at the faculties and in teacher education.

This is the first action plan at UiA that includes innovation. It is not about each individual employee engaging in innovation, but that UiA's academic and research communities themselves define their contribution and role. There are different approaches to the concept of innovation, and we apply the sector's definition in this action plan. Innovation means new or significantly improved products, services or processes that are put into use and that provide increased value creation and/or benefits to society1. In the higher education sector, R&D, education, and dissemination are the foundation for innovation and at the same time means to promote innovation. Innovations are research-based when expertise, knowledge and ideas arising from research activity are used in the development of improved products, services, or processes. Innovation includes contributing to increased competitiveness and sustainable social development.

The action plan is based on an institutional understanding of challenges and opportunities related to the university's social mission and the main objectives of the strategy. Four priority areas have been formulated with associated measures that will be raised in UiA's agenda for the period 2023-2025. The next chapter (1.3) describes the priority areas with goals and main measures, including who is responsible for the measures.

1.3. Priority areas, goals, and measures

1. Strong culture for research, artistic research, and research-based innovation throughout the organisation

Building a culture for research has been central at UiA both before and after the university accreditation in 2007.

Strengthening the culture for quality in research and research-based innovation requires continuous effort and willingness at all levels and within all disciplines. The understanding of quality varies between disciplines and reflects their tradition, history and framework conditions. UiA has a need to strengthen the research and innovation culture throughout the 

university. It is important that UiA has a structure that promotes quality in research, artistic research, and research-based innovation in order to assert itself nationally and internationally, as well as to attract talented researchers with high ambitions. Quality in this context refers to the employees' overall scientific competence and the university's academic level of ambition.

The internal structures and support systems at UiA must promote quality in research, artistic research, and innovation. Visible services, support systems and incentives that promote research and innovation must be established and strengthened.

The UiA PRIFORSK centres play an important role in strengthening the culture of research, artistic research, and research-based innovation throughout the organisation. The centres play a key role in promoting and contributing to international research quality, also as an example for others.

2. Time and space for research, artistic research, and research-based innovation

The individual employee's time for R&D tasks is the most important resource in the publicly funded research and innovation system.

Since time is such a central framework condition, it is very important that this is utilised as well as possible. In 2021-22, questions about institutional principles for the distribution of R&D time at UiA were reviewed in a separate process. In the report that forms the basis for adopted principles, the R&D concept includes research, academic and artistic development work, innovation and innovation work, and dissemination related to these activities. An important question related to time, which was not reviewed in said process, is how to ensure that the R&D time allotted can be allocated in a way that provides the most quality and results, without inappropriate pressure on the time set for these tasks4.

Provision must be made to ensure that employees have sufficient continuous time for R&D. Consideration should be given to arrangements that enable employees to have periods that are set aside to a greater extent for R&D work and with correspondingly smaller teaching tasks.

3. External funding as an instrument for sustainability and quality in research and innovation

Compared to the sector as a whole and to most Norwegian universities, UiA has lower externally funded R&D activity and a lower influence in national and international competitive arenas.

This means that the research communities at UiA are not able to exploit opportunities and funds that could have contributed to further development of the quality and scope of our R&D activity, as well as further development and establishment of larger research and innovation environments. Increased participation and influence in the competition-based funding arenas is regarded as a particularly strong instrument for development of high-quality research and innovation projects. It is also an important instrument for contributing to sustainability in society.

There is a need to work strategically with sources of funding, instruments and calls for proposals to a greater extent than is currently the case. A strategic approach will ensure time to seek and utilise internal support schemes and services for research. It also ensures increased quality assurance and legitimacy.

Academic communities and researchers who work purposefully with highly competitive funding instruments must have access to good internal support schemes and services with sufficient capacity throughout the project life cycle.

4. Competence and time to exercise research and innovation leadership

In order to achieve the goals of the strategy, good competency in research and innovation leadership is needed. Leadership training shall ensure that such competence is built at all levels of the organisation.

Heads of departments have a particularly critical role in research and innovation leadership. There is therefore a need to ensure and strengthen department heads’ room for action as well as competence.

Good administrative processes support leadership and researchers to conduct research and innovation. The type of support that can be expected is clearly situated and communicated, e.g. in role descriptions.