Laying out a timeline
Deadlines alone are not enough
While deadlines certainly help focus effort and manage time, they are not sufficient for new faculty members to create a substantive and successful line of research. Once set, they serve as endpoints in a timeline that outlines numerous steps needed to reach that endpoint. Break each task into smaller tasks, and place those smaller activities along a reasonable timeline between the present and the deadline. The sooner the timeline is created, the sooner the tasks will be undertaken.
Working backwards
A generous estimate of what is needed to complete each task creates a much greater likelihood that the final product will be finished on time. Leave enough time between the interim steps to comfortably complete each activity. New faculty members who craft a timeline early on are much more likely to reach the research goals set out with deadlines.
Creating a culture of research
Institutions are full of faculty members at every stage in their career who have varying levels of motivation to do research. Work early on to identify those faculty members accomplishing the sorts of research agendas you hope to aspire to, and find opportunities to work with them. Having a network of like-minded and motivated researchers creates a nurturing environment for moving a research agenda forward effectively. Look across departments and colleges, and even campuses until the best colleagues to work with are identified. It is possible to create a mini-culture within a larger culture and find the support needed to be a successful researcher.
Expectations are everything
Those new faculty members who expect to have successful research agendas will, and those who don’t will continue to struggle. Optimism and “can do” spirit go a long way towards motivating faculty members through the inherent challenges and uphill work of setting up and following through on numerous research projects. Think positively, lay out the necessary and realistic timelines, and the effort will be rewarded in progress made.
Creating a Culture of Research
Building Research Productivity in an Academic Setting
Nursing Outlook, Vol. 53, Iss. 5, p. 224-231
This article describes the methods one academic nursing unit used to move from receiving no National Institutes of Health funding to earning a top 20 ranking. It addresses ways to change the research culture at an institution to emphasize innovation, autonomy, peer support and review. It is necessary to purchase the article or retrieve it through library collections.
Coaching Template for Women Faculty
NSF ACES
This is an outline of activities used to coach women faculty members to success in all three areas of faculty life, including using timelines to move a research agenda forward. It includes readings, coaching questions and many helpful exercises.
Tips and Timelines
Building Successful Clinical Research Careers
Fraser, V., Infectious Disease, Washington University School of Medicine
This
PowerPoint offers many helpful tips on setting up and accomplishing a research agenda, including developing skills, connecting with mentors, and setting measurable and specific timelines.
Dissertation and Thesis Writing Tips
University Library, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
This site offers abstracts of books about moving writing forward using a number of strategies including timelines. Some examples include: Bolker’s Writing your dissertation in 15 minutes a day, Davis’s Writing the doctoral dissertation: a systematic approach, and Wright’s Secrets for a successful dissertation. While focused on the dissertation, they contain concrete tips for making progress on all sorts of writing projects.
