The Research and Innovation Office’s (RIO) Administrative Team – Kieran Teasdale, Bhavna Patel and Tom Baines – are among the finalists of the East Midlands PA Awards 2023, having been nominated for the Team of the Year Award.

Research and Innovation are crucial to the University’s success, comprising a comprehensive portfolio of activity – spanning research development and commercialisation, nurturing new businesses and spinouts, supporting business partnerships and fostering collaborations with other research institutions.

Though small, the Admin Team is highly proficient with an outstanding corporate knowledge. On paper, they support 80 colleagues within the RIO but, in reality, their remit extends much further to include hundreds of academic and Professional Services staff.

The RIO has grown and its role has broadened in recent years. To support this expansion, the Admin Team have introduced a raft of new initiatives, including self-service guidance tools to support colleagues in keeping their projects and recruitment drives on track. And, they have always been the friendly front-of-house for newcomers, easing their onboarding.

The pandemic lockdowns and home working threw up plenty of challenges for the Admin Team – as has the subsequent move to hybrid working. They have adapted and thrived – seemingly breezing through several major office moves while maintaining their everyday activity to keep the RIO ship on course.

Dr Maria Koufali, Interim Director of Research and Innovation, says of their success: “We are enormously privileged to have such a strong Admin Team who smile through adversity! They are the glue that holds our operation together. We are immensely proud that they are among the Award finalists – and hope to see them named Team of the Year in September.”

The inaugural East Midlands PA Awards recognise and celebrate the incredible talent and achievements of those working in an Executive or Business Support Role during the past 12 months. The winners will be announced on 8 September.