The Manchester Leadership Programme for Researchers

We are now inviting applications from Doctoral Researchers and Research staff for places on the new Manchester Leadership Programme for Researchers.

Register for this year's programme. The deadline for applications is 16/01/09

For the first time the prestigious Manchester Leadership Programme will be made available to Manchester University's research community.

Management is Doing things right; Leadership is doing the right things
(Peter F. Drucker)

Aims of the Manchester Leadership Programme

The aims of the MLP are to

• help staff and students of the University of Manchester:
  
  • embrace leadership that supports sustainable social, economic and environmental development
  • gain an insight into current moral and ethical leadership challenges
  • gain direct experience of interdisciplinary collaboration
  • in so doing identify and/or develop a portfolio of transferable skills
  • engage with and support the community through volunteering activity
• enable local communities, business and voluntary organisations to enrich academic learning
• demonstrate the University's commitment to contributing to the development of Manchester

What is the MLP for Researchers?

The MLP for Researchers comprises 2 elements

• 60 hours of approved voluntary service (over a 12 month period commencing 02/02/09)
• A "Leadership in Action for Researchers" online unit examining socially responsible leadership in a variety of contexts through an exploration of key issues relating to economic, social and environmentally sustainable development. Follow this link for a taster of the online unit. (the unit runs from 03/03/09 to 26/06/09)

Those who successfully complete both the unit and the voluntary work receive the prestigious Manchester Leadership Award for Researchers.

Background to the MLP

The MLP emerged out of the University's of Manchester's aim to encourage staff and students to

• see community service, constructive engagement in public policy issues and the advocacy of humane values and civil rights as part of their social responsibility as members of the University;
• raise their awareness of the problems of inequity, violence, poverty and deprivation, nationally and internationally.

(cf Towards Manchester 2015: Our Vision & Goal 9.3)

The programme was initiated in Spring 2005 and has quickly grown with 600 undergraduate students taking one of the MLP "Leadership in Action" course variations in this academic year. Follow this link to see undergraduate students reflecting upon their experiences of the MLP.

What will you get out of it?

Opportunities...

• The opportunity to engage with contemporary research across many disciplines.
• The opportunity to experience an innovative online unit that is a unique example of the potentials of e-learning resources deliverable through Blackboard
• The opportunity to develop leadership and other transferable skills through volunteering activities within the local community
• The opportunity to apply research skills to current Third Sector problems, both to benefit local/national charities and NGOs, and to enable you to practice your research skills in a non-academic setting
• The opportunity to develop vital communication, team work and planning skills.
• The opportunity to improve employability, both through volunteering activities and through gaining the Manchester Leadership Award (the award has gained strong support from major employers)
• The opportunity to be actively involved in shaping the MLP for Researchers programme

Finally, the staff and students that have been involved with the MLP have found it to be an enriching and enjoyable experience.

Register for this year's programme
The deadline for applications is 16/01/2009
You will be informed of the outcome of your application by 30/01/2009

What will completion of the "Leadership in Action for Researchers" Unit involve?

We realise that you are busy people with varied and demanding timetables. This is why the online unit, that you can access and work through at times most suited to you, is an ideal medium through which you can engage with the content of the Leadership in Action for Researchers unit.

For a taster of the online unit please follow this link

The unit will take a maximum of 100 hours to complete over an 18 week period. This will include the time required for group work (the timetabling of which will be agreed between participants) and additional reading. This does not include the 60 hours of volunteer service (that you will have a year to complete). The unit does not carry academic credit. However, on successful completion of both elements of the programme you will gain the prestigious Manchester Leadership Award for Researchers.

To successfully complete the Leadership in Action for Researchers unit you will need to:

• Make a reasonable contribution to online discussions
• Attend the introductory event (the afternoon of 3rd March 2009)
• Attend the end of unit assessment conference and have contributed to the group project poster and presentation (the afternoon of 24th June 2009).

An audience of public, private and third sector professionals will be invited to attend this conference event. Invited professionals will include representatives from HE funding councils, senior staff from the University of Manchester, and external contributors to the MLP

Selection Criteria

Doctoral researchers have been key both to tutoring the undergraduate unit and to helping shape and develop the Manchester Leadership Programme so far. We are keen to encourage participants who want to play an active and positive part in shaping a new unit which meets the needs of researchers.

As there are just 35 places available we anticipate a lot of competition for places.

To maintain the interdisciplinary collaborative focus of the pilot programme we aim to:

• Select a representative sample from each faculty (and across schools within faculties)
• Select a representative sample from 'Doctoral Researchers' and 'Research Staff'
• Applicants must demonstrate they are committed to the volunteering
• Applicants must demonstrate they are committed to engagement with the Leadership in Action for Researchers Unit and are available to attend the Launch event and end of unit conference event.