(Episode 160) Meta-Research Uncovered: The Role of Research Enablers

What does it mean to do research on research — and what role do professional staff play in it?

In this episode, Alix Brodie-Wray is joined by Dr. Chris Daley (LSE) and Dr. Amy Milligan (Saïd Business School, University of Oxford) to explore the world of meta-research and why research managers, administrators, and enablers have a vital part to play.

We cover:

🔬 What meta-research actually is (and why it matters)

💡 How professional staff bring unique, ground-level expertise to the field

📊 The growing investment in meta-science — including the UK Meta-Science Unit's funding tripling to £49 million

🎓 Whether you need a PhD to get involved (spoiler: you don't)

⚖️ The very real time pressures and how to navigate them

🌍 What the future holds for research enablers in this space

If you work in research support, management, or administration and have ever wondered whether your skills could contribute to something bigger — this one's for you.

🎧 Listen now: [link]

Contributors

Alix Brodie-Wray (follow on LinkedIn)

Dr Amy Milligan (follow on LinkedIn)

Dr Chris Daley (follow on LinkedIn)

Links and Resources:

Research on Research Institute video on ‘what is metascience?’

Past, Present and Future of UK Metascience. Short history of metascience in the UK context

Association of Research Managers and Administrators: Meta-Research Special Interest Group: Meta Research – ARMA

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@ResearchUncoveredPodcast (new episodes are announced here)

📩 If you would like to contribute to a podcast episode:

researcherdevelopment@leeds.ac.uk