Dr Navdeep Bains
Director of R&IS
The best part of my role is working with the academic community, to undertake world leading research.
I thrive on seeing the impact that research goes onto have, and knowing that we have been part of that journey.
Whilst many in our community know how R&IS can help, there are still others who are unaware of the full range of our support.
In short, we’re here to work in collaboration with our academic community to continue the groundbreaking research and impact that Warwick has become known for.
We offer guidance and expertise across the research and impact life cycle.
We have teams that support every step of the way, from finding funding opportunities, bid development, contract, research governance, research impact, research strategy and planning, and knowledge exchange and knowledge transfer partnerships.
Supporting academics through the funding journey
Our specialist grants and contract teams can help researchers find the right funding opportunities for them.
We have conversations with researchers on their research plans and advise on funding opportunities across all career stages. We also have a dedicated funding page outlining current opportunities.
Research with impact
We know our research has real world impact and goes onto change lives, whether that be economical, social, environmental or cultural.
The R&IS Research Impact teamLink opens in a new window offers support and expertise through the impact journey - from developing ideas and stakeholder mapping, to evaluation and evidence gathering.
They provide advice on developing pathways to impact - via external engagement locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, as well as on policy engagement opportunities and support for the development of policy briefs. They also offer guidance on embedding impact into funding bids, and can help track and record evidence of your research impact.
Ethics, Governance and Culture
Research is well-regulated, with many different national policies and procedures. Our Research Governance & ComplianceLink opens in a new window teams can advise on obtaining ethical approvals, regulatory requirements, export controls and trusted research considerations.
We’re also committed to supporting a positive and inclusive research culture and we work with our academic community and the National Centre for Research CultureLink opens in a new window in areas such as nurturing talent and creating collaborations.
And much more!
The R&IS team can also support departments to develop research strategies, undertake research planning, provide data and intelligence and provide policy advice on the Research Excellence Framework (REF).
I’d encourage academics to contact usLink opens in a new window to see how we can work with you.
My journey to supporting research
My dad emigrated to the UK from Fiji in the 1960s and mum in 1970s from India. Both my parents have always been very pro education; it was one of the things they agreed on. Going to university wasn’t a choice, it was expected. I count myself lucky to have had their support as not all my friends had this opportunity.
What I chose to study was entirely up to me, so I decided on pharmaceutical sciences at Coventry University. My choice of degree was where my passion for research began - I was going to change the world with research, or so I thought! As part of my degree I undertook an industrial placement year, with HRI at Wellesbourne, before it was part of Warwick.
It was during this time that both my industrial supervisor and personal tutor encouraged me to consider a PhD. So, after some discussion and with their support I secured a PhD at HRI and Queen Mary University of London.
I loved research and being in the lab, but I couldn’t see a career pathway in academia for me. I explored other options - including working at a legal firm, where I was first introduced to the world of contracts. However, my excitement for research remained, so I pursued other options that would help me use my research skills as well as my newly acquired legal/corporate skills.
I secured a one-year training position at Warwick with Warwick Ventures (now Warwick Innovations), and absolutely enjoyed helping researchers translate their research into market applications. I left Warwick and worked at the Universities of Leicester and Birmingham, but missed the Warwick culture and opportunities, so I came back into Research Support Services (now R&IS). That was nearly 16 years ago, and Warwick has given me the opportunity to carve out a brilliant career pathway. Securing the Director of R&IS at Warwick is my dream job and whilst it’s demanding and challenging, I love it.
Best of all I still get to talk with researchers about their research. When someone comes to us with a challenge or a problem that needs resolving, we can work through that with them.
In the end, we're all working to the same goal in doing excellent research and impact. It’s great knowing that we’ve played a part in making that research happen which goes on to make a difference in the world.
I get to work with the most amazing and brilliant people at Warwick, which makes doing my job not only incredibly rewarding but also a constant source of inspiration and growth.
