Key Questions to Ask Before Leading a Research Center

Founding a research center can take far more than its share of a director’s week, and the time to settle how much is before accepting the role.

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For the launch of MediaFutures—the Research Center for Responsible Media Technology & Innovation—that I founded—I bought a suit. It was February 2021, and the world was in the grip of the COVID‑19 pandemic. I moderated the opening ceremony, a 90‑minute broadcast assembled from video greetings and remote contributions, with a small team in the studio in Bergen. It went well. Six years later the suit hangs unused, yet the demanding workload that began that day has continued unabated.

I was aware that the position would involve substantial administrative duties. When we drafted the center’s application—an eight‑year collaboration involving about 100 people from university and industry partners, including major Norwegian media companies—I anticipated that roughly 80 % of my time would be devoted to management, leaving 20 % for research. That estimate proved largely accurate. What I missed was the clarifying follow‑up: 80 % of how many hours?

The Arithmetic I Did Too Late

I later compiled a rough accounting. A typical full working week, I estimate, is about 60 hours, with roughly 80 % consumed by administration and coordination. These figures are retrospective estimates; my laptop’s screen‑time report prompted the review but does not detail how each hour was used. Based on these estimates, running the center occupies about 48 hours a week—more than 10 hours beyond a standard 37.5‑hour week—before any time is allocated to personal research.

Making the Role Sustainable

A director’s workload must be planned deliberately. I receive a salary supplement for the role and appreciate the recognition, but the supplement does not define the appropriate workload. The role’s scope should be agreed upon in terms of responsibilities, available time, and how the work will scale. A future sabbatical can supply sustained research time, yet it does not safeguard weekly research capacity.

Despite these demands, creating a space where people can together address challenging questions with industry partners who apply the results is the most rewarding endeavor I have undertaken. I would submit the application again, but I would first ask more precise questions about how leadership duties will be shared and how research time will be protected.

What I Would Tell Anyone Taking on an Additional Role

Ask the hours question before accepting any percentage figure. Eighty percent of a 37.5‑hour week equals 30 hours. If the actual work regularly approaches 48 hours, the percentage masks a substantial discrepancy. Agree on the responsibilities that fit the available time and schedule periodic reviews. That dialogue is far easier to conduct before the center exists than after.

Allocate resources for both coordination and administration. Our center’s plan includes an administrative manager, and we have an excellent one. What I underestimated is the level of coordination that still required my direct involvement, including cross‑project decisions and discussions with partners and funders. Document the decisions that genuinely need the director’s authority and those that can be delegated. Empower team members with authority and time to carry out those responsibilities.

Negotiate protected research time. Clarify what teaching relief or research leave is available for the role, whether separate approval is required, and how research time will be preserved throughout the appointment. Secure these arrangements in writing before starting, and specify who will cover responsibilities while you are away.

Maintain a log from the first month. My screen‑time report made me wish I had kept a systematic record. Academic workload studies warn that recollections of increasing hours can diverge from objective time‑series data. A simple record of tasks and hours provides a firmer basis for workload discussions than memory alone and can help identify work to delegate, simplify, or stop.

Be honest about your own tendencies. Founders often struggle to delegate what they built and may resist leaving tasks unfinished. I need to address these habits as well. If the work continues to exceed available time, the next step is to collectively reconsider responsibilities and support structures.

I cherish the memory of that opening ceremony. If I were to start again, I would still buy the suit, but I would first ask one more clarifying question.

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