|
A virtual Cape Town tour can be taken by clicking here and following the instructions on the web site (Courtesy of Virtual Africa)
|
||
 |
 |
 |
The Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) is hosting the third conference of the International Organisation for Research Management Societies (INORMS) in Cape Town during April 2010, in collaboration with the Association for Commonwealth Universities (ACU). This is the first time that this conference will take place in Africa. Previous events were held in Brisbane, Australia (2006) and Liverpool, UK (2008) and attracted well over 400 delegates from more than 40 countries.
Research management is a rapidly growing field of specialisation among professionals in the USA, Europe, the UK and Australasia. INORMS was formed in 2001 to bring together these professionals from across the globe through their research management societies and associations. Its purpose is to enable interactions, sharing of good practice, and joint activities between the member societies, to the benefit of the individual members. Each member society has its own distinct remit, constitution, membership and geographical base, but face similar issues. INORMS enables its members to compare their national or regional issues, and to learn from each other.
It is encouraging that this field is also developing in Africa, with the establishment of SARIMA in 2002, and its West African equivalent, WARIMA, in 2007. Since 2002, the organisation has grown in stature and membership to a formal association with national and international reach. SARIMA is regarded as the premier association in Southern Africa for the advancement of science, technology and innovation, including addressing the asymmetries in access to, and diffusion of, knowledge between 'North and 'South'. It represents a wide range of research managers, administrators and key strategic members in the private sector and operates at an institutional, national and international level across the research value chain, from research management to commercialisation of research.
SARIMA is honoured and excited to host INORMS 2010 in association with the ACU. This opportunity will expand its strategic position and influence in the international sphere, strengthen its role in advancing best practice in research and innovation management in Africa, and serve as a platform for the South African research and innovation community to showcase its developing expertise.
The time has come to concentrate efforts and resources on renewal in research and innovation management in Africa, and on building the capacities of research managers as well as their clients to meet the challenges posed by changing contexts and new requirements. Institutional research policies, strategies and structures must accommodate new demands and imperatives emerging from an ever-expanding stakeholder environment which includes governments, civil society, academia, industry and more. The increasing competitiveness and greater geo-political significance of research has transformed research activity from something that individuals do into a serious business for researchers and their institutions. Consequently, research managers are faced with the very complex task of reconciling a range of strategic management and organisational issues and challenges.
The INORMS 2010 conference theme Managing for Impact: New Approaches to Research and Innovation Management is embodied by eight thematic sessions, namely:
Impact in the research institution
Impact on the research and innovation process
Impact on innovation
Impact on social and economic development
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for research and innovation excellence
Building a 21st century profession
Diversifying the funding base by internationalising the higher education research platform
Developing the next generation of researchers
The event will stimulate a renewal in research management globally, but also in Africa. It will gather a range of stakeholders research managers, researchers, governments, private sector organisations, development practitioners and research funders to consider the latest developments in research management through training activities, special sessions, technical strands and forums. In support of the INORMS objectives, the conference theme has synergies with those of its sister associations and consequently aims to compare the issues and solutions offered by differing experiences on different continents, and to use this knowledge to develop a better understanding of the factors influencing research management across cultures and geographic borders.
Target dates
Preliminary registration and presentation title 30 November 2009 Abstract submission 30 November 2009 Bursary applications 11 December 2009 Notification of acceptance of abstract 30 January 2010 Early bird registration and payment 30 January 2010 Final date for registrations and payment 31 March 2010 Draft paper submission for proceedings 9 April 2010 Final paper submission for proceedings 7 May 2010
INORMS Sister Organisations
ACU
The Association of Commonwealth Universities
www.acu.ac.uk ARMA Association of Research Managers & Administrators ARMS Australasian Research Management Society www.researchadmin.org.au EARMA European Association of Research Managers & Administrators www.earma.org SARIMA Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association www.sarima.co.za SARMA Swiss Association of Research Managers & Administrators www.sarma.ch SRA Society for Research Administrators www.srainternational.org WARIMA West African Research & Innovation Management Association www.warima.org CAURA Canadian Association of University Research Administrators NCURA National Council of University Research Administrators www.ncura.edu DARMA Danish Association for Research Managers & Administrators www.darma.dk Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters http://www.elevateresearchexcellence.com/
|
inorms 2010 11 to 15 April 2010 =Cape Town International Convention Centre = South Africa Managing Research for Impact: New Approaches to Research and Innovation Management |
|
|