Is the expression "Deputy Head of Research" correct? In my university department there is a professor who holds the position of Head of the department, and then there are also several Deputy Heads, who are in charge of different management areas  —more precisely: Research, Teaching and Infrastructure. Notice that, in our case, the Head and the Deputy Heads are not necessarily 'senior professors' or 'full professors'; they can be also (young) 'associate professors'. They are in fact elected by popular vote within the teachers belonging to that department.

My question is just this: What is the right way to refer to the Deputy Head who is in charge for the Research matters of the department?


Research Deputy Head?
Deputy Head for Research?
Deputy Head of Research?
...


Actually, I am not sure whether the term 'Deputy Head' is right or not, in this context.

I would appreciate your feedback on this terminology question.
"Deputy Head of Research" is someone who deputises for the "Head of Research".

By contrast, "Deputy Head for Research" (or, sometimes, "Deputy Head (Research)") is someone who deputises for some generic "Head" in the specific area of research.

"Research Deputy Head" is unidiomatic and sounds like a command "go and research the deputy head" rather than a title. The "research" coming first somehow stresses it as a verb rather than a noun.

Even more common than any of those constructions, at least in my part of the world, is the simpler "Head of Research".

In practice, there will be a definitive answer to this question which you can only find out by asking within your university.