Head of Applied Research as Professor of Creative Industries (Professional Practice)

This is a key post within the CoSTAR National R&D Lab, with responsibility for the strategic and operational management of a core element of the Lab’s R&D pipeline. The role provides oversight of technical projects emerging from CoSTAR Research and Prototyping programmes, assessing their technical readiness for integration into National Lab infrastructure and/or Access Programmes, and making clear, evidence-based recommendations to the Executive Board based on research maturity, risk and resource considerations. Working closely with research and innovation leaders across the CoSTAR Network, the post holder will help identify business-led opportunities for applied R&D and evaluate the viability of deploying research projects with industry partners. The role plays a critical bridging function between research, technology and industry, ensuring that CoSTAR’s R&D activity remains both academically robust and commercially relevant. The post holder will maintain a particularly strong working relationship with the Enterprise and Commercialisation team, collaborating to identify capacity and opportunities for exploiting intellectual property generated by the National Lab across the CoSTAR Network and its user community. The role will also work closely with legal teams to understand and apply appropriate IP frameworks in line with the CoSTAR funding programme, including negotiating in-principle terms with commercial partners and users, and supporting effective knowledge exchange and impact activity. A key responsibility of the role is to develop, promote and advocate appropriate technical frameworks for sharing software, tools and methodologies across the CoSTAR technology infrastructure. This includes disseminating best practice across the National Lab and its industry users and communities, and, where appropriate, creating opportunities to share this practice with relevant academic and student communities at Royal Holloway, University of London. Within the National Lab, the post holder will work collaboratively with research leadership and Directors to deliver industry-relevant R&D that supports the sustainable and inclusive growth of the creative sector. Drawing on their technical and sector expertise, they will support business users and researchers to consider the ethical, inclusivity and environmental implications of innovation, ensuring that CoSTAR’s R&D activity delivers meaningful and responsible impact.