Highlights from the 16 March meeting of RDM's Senior Leadership Team
As RDM’s Finance Manager, I sit on the department’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT), which meets every two months to discuss key strategic and operational issues. As part of our commitment to transparency around decision-making, this post summarises some highlights from the meeting on 16 March.
We started with an update on the early stages of the process to develop RDM in line with our new research strategy 2025-30, building on the discussions at the recent RDM Open Forum. We will be moving forward in consultation across the department, and are currently seeking proposals for external consultancy support, subject to such costs being approved in our 2026/27 budget.
I presented an update on RDM’s financial position based on the Q2 forecast for 2025/26 (this means the updated forecast produced after the end of the second quarter of the financial year, on 31 January). The forecast is a £1.9m deficit, similar to the equivalent at Q1 and slightly behind the original budget for 2025/26.
I also shared news from the Medical Sciences Division’s Finance, Research and General Purposes Committee, which has just completed its process for addressing last financial year’s surpluses and deficits across the Division. RDM recorded a £1.5m deficit in 2024/25, which will be deducted from our departmental ‘cash-backed’ reserves. With a further deficit forecast for 2025/26, this category of reserves is expected to be exhausted by the end of this financial year, reinforcing the importance of our taking action to return to a break-even or surplus position in the years ahead.
Our Head of Strategic Research Development, Sarah Ball, gave a positive report on the first meeting of RDM’s new Funding Working Group. This group will be finding practical ways to help RDM diversify its funding, including from industry and philanthropic sources, as well as European funding schemes.
I presented a paper proposing to pilot a revised approach to how the department’s JRAM income (funding received via the central University linked to teaching and research activity) is allocated across RDM. SLT agreed that from 2026/27 we will direct more of this funding to the research divisions, after what is needed to cover cross-departmental costs (such as our graduate studentship budget) and strategic initiatives.
We also heard updates on several initiatives, including a cybersecurity initiative and plans for new departmental prizes – watch this space!
As usual, we also covered a number of standing items, including progress on our two MRC CoRE applications, graduate studies updates, and changes to health and safety policies.
If you have any questions about RDM's Senior Leadership Team or any of the topics raised in this blog post, please don't hesitate to contact communications@rdm.ox.ac.uk.
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