Gaining a Holistic View of Your Medical School’s Research Enterprise
Key Takeaways from Our Dec. 9 Coffee Break Webinar
At our most recent Coffee Break, Gaining a Holistic View of Your Medical School’s Research Enterprise, the Academic Analytics team explored one of the most pressing challenges medical schools face today: how to truly understand, and communicate, the full scope of their research activity.
Medical schools operate in a uniquely complex ecosystem. Faculty hold appointments across multiple units, collaborate across disciplines, contribute to diverse research outputs, and secure funding from a wide range of sources. Yet despite the sophistication of the work, many institutions struggle to see the complete picture.
A fragmented view can leave medical school leaders with unanswered questions: Where are our research strengths? Which areas are emerging? Where are we underinvesting, and where are we competing?
The discussion highlighted how a more holistic understanding of the research enterprise can empower leadership to support faculty success, accelerate strategic growth, and effectively communicate impact to internal stakeholders, external partners, and the communities they serve.
Missed the session? Here’s what you need to know:
🔹 A Connected View Drives Better Decisions
Rather than looking at publications, grant activity, collaborations, or clinical partnerships in isolation, leaders benefit from insight that connects these elements. A unified understanding of research strengths helps inform hiring priorities, recognize patterns in productivity, and identify emerging areas of opportunity.
🔹 Visibility Supports Faculty at Every Stage
Medical school faculty often juggle competing pressures, from clinical duties to academic work to research demands. When systems provide clear, accessible insight into research activity, chairs and deans are better positioned to support faculty success, mentorship, and retention.
🔹 Benchmarking Matters, But Context Matters More
Peer comparisons can surface strengths and vulnerabilities, but the value lies in using those comparisons to inform strategy—not oversimplify it. Thoughtful benchmarking creates opportunities for collaboration, investment, and program development.
🔹 Data Quality Shapes the Story
Accurate, validated, and consistent information ensures that leaders can make evidence-based decisions. A clear, up-to-date view of research activity strengthens planning conversations and improves the confidence of decision-makers.
🔹 A Holistic View Strengthens External Impact
Whether securing funding, communicating achievements to the public, engaging philanthropic partners, or demonstrating value to governing bodies, medical schools benefit from being able to articulate their research enterprise clearly and confidently.
The bottom line?
Medical schools are advancing groundbreaking research, training the next generation of physician-scientists, and driving innovation with global impact. But without a holistic view of their research enterprise, much of that work remains unseen or unleveraged.
By connecting data, aligning insights, and empowering leaders with visibility across the full research ecosystem, institutions can make more informed decisions, better support faculty, and more effectively tell their story.
