Signature Research Areas aim for collaboration, connection and clarity

The initiative to develop and define Signature Research Areas (SRAs) was always destined to be a challenge at an institution with over 2,000 academics.

But after many workshops, forums and a survey, two of the University of Auckland’s research leaders see the SRAs as a necessary strategic response as this University, like others, here and globally, faces a period of society-wide change.

For Professor Peng Du, associate director research, of the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI), and Geoff Willmott, associate dean research, in the Faculty of Science, the initiative represents an opportunity to sharpen the University’s research identity and a challenge to think collaboratively and strategically about its future.

Willmott points out that universities around the world are facing financial and competitive pressures that demand clear strategic responses.

“There’s urgency because the financial pressures are relatively short term,” he says. “The University’s strategic response in research is the Signature Research Areas.”

For Du, the SRA initiative is as much about storytelling as it is about research structure.

“It’s about branding and justification of what we are good at,” he says. “We’re good at a lot of things, but telling people we’re good at everything doesn’t cut it. International students and funders need a clear idea of what we truly excel at.”

Both see SRAs as a way to communicate excellence more precisely, not just to peers, but to partners, students and the public.

In the Faculty of Science, Willmott has been running a series of workshops aimed at identifying potential SRAs. The process, he says, has been deliberately open-ended.

“It’s not a strongly top-down process. We’re meaningfully engaging with ideas from the shop floor. Conversations can be messy, but that’s fine at this stage.”

To manage this breadth, Willmott has worked through departmental research representatives, asking them to surface “credible ideas” that can scale up to the level of an SRA, rather than simply advancing individual projects. The goal, he says, is to distil the faculty’s wide-ranging expertise into themes that can genuinely represent the University’s research strengths.

At ABI, the process has reflected the large-scale research institute.

“Given our size, we’ve taken a more coordinated, top-down approach,” says Du.

The institute’s researchers rallied around the concept of human digital twins, a continuation of ABI’s longstanding work in bioengineering and human physiology.

“It’s a natural evolution of our research into human health and precision medicine,” he explains. “We’ve always been transdisciplinary, but this challenges us to be even more so;  to think about how our expertise connects across the University.”

One of the central aims of the SRA initiative is to foster transdisciplinary collaboration. Both Willmott and Du agree that this has long been part of the University’s culture, but the SRAs formalise and amplify that intent.

Willmott gives a practical example from his and Du’s own research: “In micro- and nano fluidics, we model small-scale flows, and that connects naturally with physiological processes – digestion, vascular circulation – that ABI studies. Those kinds of links have always existed, but SRAs give them a new platform and purpose.”

Du says the societal impact criterion is especially important.

“ABI has always focused on translational research. Taking discoveries from lab to clinic. The SRA framework reminds us to continually ask: who benefits, and how does this impact people’s lives?”

That emphasis extends beyond science and engineering. Willmott notes that collaboration with the social sciences and humanities is essential to any research that aims to change society.

“Every new technology or method has ethical and social contexts,” he says. “Understanding those contexts helps us ensure research is meaningful and responsible.”

Du adds a cultural dimension, noting the potential of integrating mātauranga Māori perspectives.

“Take the gut-brain axis, for example. Modern science is just recognising the connection between emotion and physiology that Māori perspectives have long acknowledged. There’s richness in bringing those viewpoints together.”

Both professors acknowledge that the process of developing SRAs is complex.

“We’re moving from a broad base to something quite distilled in a short time,” Willmott says. “That makes it hard to ensure every voice is heard.”

Du, meanwhile, cautions that while focus is essential, it shouldn’t limit curiosity.

“We’re getting behind human digital twins as a collective area, but that doesn’t mean researchers can’t explore other themes. It’s about finding how their work connects, not boxing anyone in.”

If successful, SRAs will do more than tidy up the University’s research map – they’ll make Auckland a magnet for talent and investment. Willmott highlights one key concept from the initiative’s planning materials: attractor.

“If the SRAs are working well, they draw attention to the University for the right reasons: the research we do. They attract collaborators, students, and staff, and ultimately make the research enterprise more sustainable.”

Du likens SRAs to “a very fine elevator pitch.” He imagines a moment when the Vice-Chancellor can, in 30 seconds, clearly articulate what makes the University of Auckland exceptional.

“You can’t just say we’re a world-class institution in everything,” he says. “But if we can convey two or three genuine strengths – and back them up with real substance – that’s powerful.”

That authenticity, he adds, is crucial: “Your substance has to match the slogan. It has to be real.”

Du and Willmott see the SRA initiative as a decade-long evolution. Willmott puts it bluntly: “One of the goals is to move up the rankings – that’s part of the reality. But beyond that, each SRA should deliver real impact within five years.”

Du adds the ultimate success would be public recognition.

“In ten years, I’d love for the average person on the street to know about ABI – to know two or three things we do and why they matter. That would show real reach and impact. Bioengineering should be seen as one of New Zealand’s future growth areas as we diversify beyond the primary industries.”

If the SRAs achieve that – clarity, collaboration, and connection – they will redefine what it means to be a university in a fast-changing world.