RIS Conference 2026 - Day 1 Preparation Survey

Why this survey matters
Your responses shape the depth and direction of every session on the day. They help facilitators meet you where you are — not where they assume you to be. They also give you a chance to begin the thinking that the day is designed to accelerate.
This should take 10-12 minutes. If you haven't yet read the Participant Briefing document, please do so first — it will make several of these questions much easier to answer.

A. About You and Your Research Work
These questions help facilitators understand who is in the room and what you are working on.
They remove the need to open every session with 'what is everyone researching?' — which means we can use the time for deeper work.

1.Your name and school

2.What is your formal role, and how does research leadership sit within it?

This brief descriptor is one of the most useful things you can give us. It allows facilitators to contextualise their sessions to the actual work in the room rather than generic examples.

3.How long have you been leading research in your current school?

Less than 1 year

1–2 years

3–5 years

More than 5 years

B. Your Mountain — Current Altitude and Next Challenge
These questions help us understand where your school's research practice is right now — and what you are trying to build toward.
There are no right or wrong answers. Honest self-assessment is more useful than aspirational positioning.

4.Current altitude — where is your school's research practice RIGHT NOW?

Kosciuszko Early-stage. We are building the foundations of a research culture — structures are emerging but not yet embedded.

Kilimanjaro Structured engagement. Research is a planned activity; some staff are involved; there is emerging evidence of impact.

Aconcagua Whole-school practice. Research informs decisions across the school; there is shared language and visible presence in strategy.

Everest System-level leadership. We are leading research culture across schools or networks and enabling others to develop their practice.

If you are genuinely between two levels, choose the lower one. The honest starting point is more useful to us than the aspirational one.

C. Your Leadership Archetype
The four archetypes describe your current orientation as a research leader — not your seniority or experience.
They help us understand how you approach challenges and what kind of support is most useful.

5.Which archetype best describes you right now?

Explorer I am still identifying my mountain. I need exposure to new ideas, frameworks, and possibilities before I can commit to a direction.

Builder I know where I want to go. I need practical tools, influence strategies, and capability development to get there.

Pathfinder I am already climbing significant mountains. I am looking for system-level thinking, strategic collaboration, and new routes.

Guide I have climbed many mountains and now focus on enabling others. I think about capability transfer, mentoring, and systemic impact.

Note: Pathfinders and Guides may be invited to contribute to workstream discussions, not just receive content. Your experience is a resource for the whole room.

D. P:EAKS Capability Self-Assessment
P:EAKS is a framework for describing the capability dimensions that every research leader needs to perform at to achieve the goals — at any altitude. Each look different depending on the demands you are operating under.
Rate yourself honestly relative to the demand of your next mountain, not in general.
i.e if you do not feel that you're currently performing to your goals or what's needed, think about whether it is Energy, Accountability, Knowledge, or Sustainability that is holding your Performance back.

E. Workstream Capability — Self-Assessment
Each RIS Conference workstream will delve into a specific 'technical capability' domain to build your 'strength' in that capability.
Rate your current confidence in each domain relative to the demand of your next mountain — then use the routing guidance below to inform your workstream choice (where 1 is currently 'Low' capability and 5 is 'High').

Routing guidance: Attend the three workstreams where your confidence is lowest relative to your next mountain. A score of 1–2 in any domain signals a genuine altitude ceiling. A score of 4–5 does not mean skip it — it may mean you are ready to contribute to the discussion as a Pathfinder or Guide.

8.What is most limiting your research leadership right now?

I don't have a clear enough strategy or purpose to anchor my work.

I struggle to build genuine support and buy-in from the people who matter.

I find it hard to communicate the value of research in ways that shift practice.

I don't have the data literacy or AI tools I need to work at the next level.

I feel capable across each area — but I can't connect them into a coherent whole.

If you chose the last option, this is a strong signal that the day's integrated P:EAKS approach — connecting all four streams through Strategy & Purpose — will be particularly valuable for you.

F. Learning Preferences and Experience

9.How do you learn best at events like this?

Keynote inspiration and conceptual framing

Structured frameworks I can immediately apply

Small group conversation and peer challenge

Interactive working on a real problem

Hearing how others have solved similar challenges

10.Right now, how much energy do you have for significant change in your school's research practice?

Running on empty — I need to recover before I climb

2

3

4

5

Fully charged — ready to take on a bigger mountain

11.Is there anything you are carrying into the day that we should know?

Optional. G. Your Commitment — Before the Day Begins
The conference is most valuable when participants arrive already invested. Complete this final section as a personal commitment to the work — not a performance, but a genuine stake in the day.

12.If the day delivers one powerful outcome for me, it will be...

Thank you — your survey is complete.
Your responses will be read by the facilitation team before the day. The more specific and honest you are, the more the day will be shaped around what the room actually needs.
We look forward to climbing with you.