In a nutshell: We’ve argued that research focused on solving pressing problems, or on working out which problems are most pressing, can be very high impact. Research managers can multiply the impact of researchers by prioritising projects within an institution, coordinating research, fundraising, and producing communications that make research institutions more impactful.

Sometimes recommended — personal fit dependent

This career will be some people's highest-impact option if their personal fit is especially good.

Review status

Based on a shallow investigation 

Why might research management be high impact?

In general, we think that helping others have a greater positive impact than they would have had otherwise is sometimes underappreciated, and that it’s an important and valid way to do good. Indeed, that’s our strategy here at 80,000 Hours!

Research managers enhance the impact of others’ work by prioritising projects within an institution, coordinating research, fundraising, and producing communications to make the institution more impactful. In some cases, research managers also help set strategy for an organisation — though this is usually in cases where they have previously been researchers themselves.

Being a research manager seems valuable for many of the same reasons working in operations management does — these coordinating roles are crucial for enabling researchers and others to have the biggest positive impact possible.

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Read next:  Learn about other high-impact careers

Want to consider more paths? See our list of the highest-impact career paths according to our research.

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