Catriona Manville

Photo of Catriona Manville
Research Leader
Cambridge Office

Education

Ph.D. in biochemistry, Newcastle University; B.Sc. in biochemistry, Newcastle University

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact RAND Europe Media Relations at +44 (1223) 353 329, x2560, or email europeanmedia@rand.org.

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Overview

Catriona Manville is a research leader at RAND Europe, where she works in the area of innovation, health and science. Since joining RAND, she has been involved in and managed research, policy analysis and evaluation studies across the sectors of health and higher education. Her research clients represent a variety of sectors including higher education institutions, public-private partnerships, public health and the pharmaceutical industry. She has a specific interest in the pathway by which academic research can lead to impact, and experience in working with academics to realise and articulate their impact. 

Prior to joining RAND Europe, Manville worked in the Science Team at the British Library. In her research, she investigated how research impact outside of the academic environment will be measured in REF2014 (the UK-wide assessment of the outputs of higher education institutions). 

Manville has a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Newcastle University where she specialised in the propensity of drug therapies to cause cancer. As part of her Ph.D., Manville spent a year working in the genetic toxicology department at GSK.  

Research Focus

Commentary

  • Suggestion box attached to a wall, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Suggestion_box.jpg">Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/20826826@N00">Hashir Milhan</a>/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">CC BY 2.0</a>

    Before Redesigning the REF, a New Survey Could Help in Understanding What Is and Isn’t Working

    September's call for more sustainable and agile research funding signaled a renewed push by research-intensive universities for a funding and assessment system with a lighter touch. Before embarking on a further round of changes, it is important to listen and learn from researchers and managers about what has and has not worked well.

    Oct 6, 2020 Research Professional News

  • Hand holding a light bulb with cogs inside, photo by ipopba/Getty Images

    The Future of Research Outputs

    The changing nature of research outputs has the potential to affect a wide range of organizations and people. A proactive stance could help drive research towards better practices in information storage, sharing and communication, but requires early action and shared goals at a sector level.

    May 12, 2020 British Library

  • Scientists working with high tech equipment, photo by gorodenkoff/Getty Images

    What Is the Future of England's Research and Research Assessment?

    Rapid technological developments, changes in public policy, and shifts in the international environment all affect academia. To help understand these effects, RAND researchers asked more than 3,600 academics in England how they expect their research to evolve over the next decade.

    Nov 1, 2019 Wonkhe

  • A woman with cancer faces away from the camera, photo by FatCamera/Getty Images

    Treating Breast Cancer Is Not Just About the Disease: Its Wider Impacts Need to Be Considered, Too

    Successes in the early treatment of breast cancer are to be celebrated. But those achievements need not limit the development of further and better treatment for patients. Understanding the disease's wider effects could help bring this about.

    Oct 22, 2019 The RAND Blog

  • Public speaker at a research convention, photo by gremlin/Getty Images

    Outputs of the Future

    Are all types of research outputs of equal value? How do different outputs serve different purposes? Exploring these questions could benefit not only funders and universities, but also result in overall better use of research resources.

    Oct 11, 2019 Research Professional News

  • Group of researchers analyzing data on a computer in a laboratory, photo by skynesher/Getty Images

    How to Design a Research Funder

    Emerging challenges are leading to an increased emphasis on the impact of research beyond academia. At the same time, funders must adapt to changing expectations about what research can and should deliver, financial austerity, and developments in the topics and methods of research.

    Mar 11, 2019 Research Fortnight

  • Color blocks in a a square with four separated out

    Evidence Synthesis—Behind the Scenes

    The Royal Society and RAND Europe recently published an evidence synthesis on the impacts of ammonia emissions from agriculture on biodiversity. As well as aiming to provide a useful summary of the evidence to inform ongoing policy discussions, the study was intended to test the Royal Society's recently developed principles for good evidence synthesis for policy.

    Nov 30, 2018 The Royal Society

  • Cows line up for feeding on Salisbury Plain in Southern England, May 20, 2012

    Ammonia – Why the Big Stink?

    Ammonia pollution harms human health and reduces the richness and diversity of the environment. As new policy frameworks are implemented in the UK, there is an opportunity to support farmers to make the changes necessary to reduce ammonia pollution.

    Sep 18, 2018 The Royal Society

  • Illustration of a digital world

    Where Next for the Digital Society?

    Digital technologies are omnipresent, both in terms of where we are and what we do. A digital society can bring about economic and societal gain, but there are many challenges that need to be addressed beyond the actual technologies.

    Oct 14, 2016 The RAND Blog

  • A group of people collaborating

    What Can We Learn from High-Performing Research Units?

    Central characteristics of high-performing research units are the high quality of the people and the culture and values displayed within the department, which is often a result of leadership. It is also interesting to explore their differences, such as what makes a unit particularly good at having impact versus producing high-quality publications.

    Jun 28, 2016 Open Forum Events

  • A group of young people talking on a staircase

    What Makes for High-Performing Research? The Right Mix of Staff and Appropriate Leadership

    With many different higher education institutions in the UK covering a diverse range of disciplines, and delivering research in a variety of ways, it can be difficult to determine the qualities and characteristics of high-performing higher education institutions.

    Feb 22, 2016 PolicyWonkers

  • Group of academics working together

    Analysing 'High Performance' Research Units in Higher Education

    The characteristics that are central to high performance are people—as in recruiting and retaining the best—and the culture and values within the department, coupled with the leadership displayed.

    Dec 4, 2015 Open Forum Events

  • University students working in a laboratory

    What's Next for REF?

    In 2014, the research of 154 UK universities was evaluated, accounting for the efforts of 52,061 academic staff members. For the first time, the impact that the research had on wider society was part of the assessment. As we approach the next assessment period, there is opportunity for discussion to tweak and refine future measures of impact.

    Jul 8, 2015 Open Forum Events

  • Group of people discussing research

    Three Cheers for Research Users Engaging in REF 2014

    In the UK, research outputs from universities are assessed every five years to determine future funding allocations from government. In 2014, for the first time, the Research Excellence Framework included an assessment of research impact. Research users played key roles throughout the process.

    Mar 31, 2015 PolicyWonkers

  • Newton's cradle

    REF 2014 Shows That Research Impact Can Be Assessed

    For the first time anywhere, the UK has allocated funding to universities according to an assessment of research impact. An evaluation of the Research Excellence Framework 2014 process reveals that it worked, allowing different types of impacts drawn from a wide range of disciplines to be compared and scored.

    Mar 27, 2015 Higher Education Funding Council for England Blog

  • Dominoes falling down

    REF 2014 Impact Submissions: Part of a Cultural Shift?

    The Research Excellence Framework (REF) has incentivized universities to be more focused on their contribution to society beyond academia. The inclusion of impact as a component of the REF is leading to a cultural shift in the academic sector.

    Mar 27, 2015 Higher Education Funding Council for England Blog

  • Scientists filling test tubes in a laboratory

    Measuring Impact: How Australia and the UK Are Tackling Research Assessment

    The UK is the first country to attempt to allocate funding based on the wider societal impact of research, and in 2012, a subset of higher education institutions in Australia ran a small-scale pilot exercise to assess impact and understand the potential challenges of the process. What can be learned by comparing the UK and Australian approaches?

    Dec 8, 2014 The Guardian

  • A girl is tested for malaria at an MSF clinic in Tomping camp, where some 17,000 displaced people who fled their homes are being sheltered by the United Nations, in Juba, South Sudan

    Probing the Barriers to Conducting Clinical Research in Sub-Saharan Africa

    Developing clinical research in sub-Saharan Africa requires a more holistic approach that considers not only individuals and institutions concerned with clinical research but also the wider health and research systems in these countries.

    Sep 19, 2014 The RAND Blog

  • Barcelona aerial port view

    How Smart Are Our European Cities?

    The urban population is expected to double by 2050, when seven out of every 10 people will live in cities. Poverty, inequality, unemployment, and energy management challenges are also expected to increase. One potential solution is the concept of the 'smart city.'

    Jul 9, 2014 The RAND Blog

Publications