Accountability

Projects, networks other funded activities are normally managed by the academics who were named as Principal Applicants on initial proposals. Project and network directors are responsible for the progress of their research, for providing annual and end-of-award reports and for appropriate participation in the work of the Programme as a whole. Working within contractual frameworks and Programme policies, project directors and their teams have considerable autonomy.

The Programme Director is responsible for the operational management of the Programme on a day-to-day basis. He aims to provide academic leadership across the Programme, to coordinate collaborative initiatives and to use the Programme’s infrastructure to ‘add value’ to the work of individual projects. He both reports to and advises the Steering Committee. He is supported by a Deputy Director, four Associate Directors and a Programme Office.

The Directors’ Team have expertise across all the major sectors in which research is being conducted. Drawing on this expertise, they each have responsibility for supporting a specific range of projects or other funded activities, and for direct liaison with an associated portfolio of research users.

The Programme Office maintain the core organisational infrastructure for day-to-day Programme activity and are normally the most appropriate initial point of contact for external enquiries and internal administration.

The Steering Committee has a key policy-making role with TLRP. With a membership of senior research users and distinguished academics from across the UK, it offers advice to the Programme Director, considers project reports and takes responsibility for all major funding decisions. It meets three or four times each year.

ESRC manages the Programme on behalf of a range of UK funders. On the one hand, ESRC’s Associate Director of Research for Education and his colleagues provide administrative services in respect of funding processes and accountability requirements. On the other hand, ESRC’s Research Priorities Board monitors the decisions of the TLRP Steering Committee and receives the Programme’s Annual Report. ESRC also provides a range of other important services to support research development (see www.esrc.ac.uk).

Key funders of the Programme include the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Department for Education and Skills, the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Executive. Formally, ESRC’s contract to manage the Programme is with HEFCE, the largest funder.

Whilst this is a complex structure, it provides direct access to formidable sources of expertise and support for the Programme.

Details of the TLRP Core Programme Team at London can be found on our Contact page.