Researcher Development Team

Gráinne Barkess, Head of Research Environment and Services

Research is a demanding but rewarding job, and Gráinne can help you get the most out of your research career.

Having joined Edinburgh Napier in 2011, Gráinne's role is to help you develop both your current research skills and projects, as well as support you to develop plans for your future career.

To help you develop your research career, Gráinne and her team runs lots of courses and events for research students, early career researchers and research supervisors. Grá​inne is also here to support you if you are completely new to research.

Edinburgh Napier’s courses are mapped against Vitae’s Researcher Development Framework, which can help you identify research areas that you might want to focus on or develop. She is really keen to hear what the research community requires for their own development and is always open to suggestions.

Contact: g.barkess@napier.ac.uk - ext 3341

Dawn has worked at Edinburgh Napier University since 2015 in the university’s first public engagement role. Her role is to direct the institution’s approach to public engagement, leading from a strategic and operational level. Dawn’s academic background is in languages and worked in the media, education and third sectors before moving into higher education. Dawn has a particular interest in co-producing and developing new methods to bring people, their ideas and perspectives together. She is a firm believer that no research is beyond public engagement; in a nutshell, the quirkier the better!

As Public Engagement Manager Dawn works with our six academic Public Engagement Leads who make up the university’s Public Engagement Forum. Dawn has a central role in both Edinburgh’s Beltane Public Engagement Network [https://www.beltanenetwork.org] and ScotPEN [https://www.scotpen.org] to make sure our approach to public engagement maintains its collaborative roots.

Contact:dawn.smith@napier.ac.uk - ext 3354​​​​

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Jenna Heatlie, Research & Innovation Administrator 

Jenna was first a student at ENU in The Business School, before joining the HR team for several years. She has also spent time working in London. Now in RIE, Jenna is the Research & Innovation Administrator and is responsible for our Researcher Development Programme: a series of courses, training and webinars designed to address different aspects of personal, professional and career development. Jenna is also involved in Public Engagement work with Dawn.

Outside of ENU, you’ll find Jenna teaching Pilates or on a plane to a near or far destination to explore!

​Contact: j.heatlie@napier.ac.uk​

Sophie Morris, Researcher Developer (currently on maternity leave until May 2024)

Sophie is one of your researcher developers and looks after the researcher development programme. Sophie also works to evaluate the researcher development programme to assess its impact.