Being an academic has a number of pressures, one of which is the ability to multi-task effectively. It is often difficult to succeed in all the required roles to a level at which one feels comfortable with the outcomes. This is one reason why clinical trainees choose against academic careers, and why PhD students move to industry rather than continue within the University.
Current regulatory frameworks mean that our activities have to be evaluable to an external examiner, who may be non-expert in the field. The end result is that we may prioritise ticking the correct boxes above pursuing our academic goals, and although these two goals should be co-linear, they may not always be. The value of enterprise in our activities may therefore not be a personal strategic priority. However, by “making a difference to society”, enterprise can be a rewarding part of an academic career, and one which is being increasingly valued by Research Councils and Charities alike.
On this note I would like to congratulate Ying Cheong on winning the 2016 WISE Tech Start-Up Award for setting up the company Vivoplex with Hywel Morgan and Nick Macklon . This is a truly excellent achievement in a fiercely competitive environment. VivoPlex is a new University start-up that develops biometric sensors, one use of which is to monitor the intrauterine environment ( www.vivoplex.com ).
One of the new ways that the University engages with industrial partners is through the Futureworlds initiative ( www.futureworlds.com ). The brainchild of Reuben Wilcock (FoPSE), Futureworlds is branching out to engage in the Life Sciences and already features videos made by Ying about VivoPlex , as well as Jay Lever’s and Rob Read’s ENTiTi platform . The website and these videos are well worth checking-out (links below) if you are interested in this novel way of developing the enterprise aspect of your research.
Research Impact is another important metric that will be used in the next REF. The Faculty will be sending out requests for impact case stories shortly and it would be great if we could collect as many stories as possible to support the next REF submission. In the last REF(2014) 94% of our research was rated 3 or 4* for impact so we have performed excellently in this domain. Just to indicate how successful we are in this area, further congratulations should go Kathryn Woods-Townsend who was recently shortlisted for the 2016 WISE Impact Award for her work on LifeLab .
Engaging in enterprise activities may seem like an extra-burden on an already full timetable, but as these stories indicate, it can be a rewarding and valuable part of the “day job”.
Professor Salim Khakoo, Associate Dean (Enterprise)
Links
WISE awards:
WISE Tech Start-Up Award - Ying Cheong
WISE Impact Award - Kathryn Woods-Townsend
Futureworlds videos:
Vivoplex - sensing key factors for fertility
Combating infectious diseases: the ENTiTi Platform
Southampton REF impact case studies:
Related Staff Member
Professor Salim I Khakoo BSc, MBBS, FRCP, MD
Professor Salim Khakoo is Professor of Hepatology, the Head of School in Clinical and Experimental Sciences and Director of Biomedical Research (IFLS)
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