Atomic Research Centres to Intensify Research – An Innovative Approach of Srinivas University, India

Abstract

Purpose: To find an innovative way to boost research work and contribution by individual faculty members of higher education institutions including universities by creating their own micro-research centre. This should also help faculty members to plan and intensify their research at low cost and internally available resources and to contribute to the research output of their institutions, and society in a micro but effective way.

Methodology: Proposing and implementing micro-research centres in individual departments of universities by individual faculty members. This centre is independently coordinated by an individual faculty member along with colleagues and students at research, Post-graduate, and Undergraduate levels. The research methodology consists of developing a case study by collecting information about individual efforts of innovative research and crystalizing such efforts to be a systematic innovation as best practice in the higher education space. Information is collected from the research and innovation council of Srinivas University through its website and by interviewing its faculty members. The collected information is analyzed using ABCD analysis framework and presented in scholarly article format.

Results & Outcome: This case study on innovation in research efforts by motivating faculty members to develop and coordinate a micro-research centre called Atomic Research Centre to carry out intensive and focussed research on a micro-topic by individually and through a micro-team consisting of self, colleagues, and students at research, Post-graduate, and Undergraduate levels. This best practice speeds up and intensifies the research activities of individual faculty members in many micro-research areas without the huge investment in research as research funding. This best practice of individual research contribution through Atomic research centres (ARCs) also allows the faculty members to coordinate on one or many research topics at a time, individually or with different small teams. Based on an intense search in the literature, it is found that initiation and implementation of Faculty level Atomic Research Centre to promote and intensify departmental research is a unique innovative best practice in HEIs and Universities.

Originality: Studying the initiation, formation, modalities, and details of faculty-initiated Atomic Research centres and their success in contributing to departmental research is studied systematically and analysed using ABCD analysing framework.

Type of Research: Case Study & Analysis.