Factsheet 3
Best Practice
Supporting researchers
The Concordat to Support the Career
Development of Researchers was launched in
June 2008 and sets out the duties of universities,
research managers and funders to support
researchers’ careers. The full text can be found
at www.researchconcordat.ac.uk. A Strategy
Group will now oversee implementation.
This factsheet includes a selection of examples
from Athena SWAN award-winners, which
address many of the key points in the Research
Concordat. To find out more about these
initiatives and other SWAN-related work,
contact the universities directly. Contact details
for SWAN members can be found at
www.athenaswan.org.uk/html/athena-swan/
membership.
•
Conduct exit interviews with contract research
staff (School of Physical and Geographical
Sciences, Keele University).
•
Conduct a destination survey of PhD students
and postdocs who have left the department
(Psychology Department, York University).
Induction and mentoring
•
Provide a tailored induction seminar from an
experienced colleague in the school, covering
all aspects of the position, both formal and
informal (School of Psychology, Nottingham
University).
•
Use existing forums to provide induction for
new early-career research staff (Psychology
Department, York University).
•
Supplement the Staff Handbook with ‘Things I
Wish I’d been Told’, drawing on comments from
previous new arrivals (Psychology Department,
York University).
•
Inform research staff individually, and on
the website, about mentoring schemes and
the support to be expected from mentors
(Department of Mechanical, Materials and
Manufacturing Engineering, Nottingham
University).
Data
•
Collect data on the career progression of
contract research staff (Lancaster University).
•
Ensure that data-gathering considers different
aspects, e.g. gender plus ability to combine
an academic career with having a family
(Manchester University).
•
Examine gender data in relation to transfer from
fixed-term to open-ended contracts (Leicester
University).
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Set up a self-help group for long-term
researchers (Chemistry Department, York
University).
Encourage female researchers to join the
GetSET database run by the UK Resource Centre
for Women in SET so that they can access
national mentoring schemes and network with
others with similar research interests (Reading
University).
Developing skills
Run development programmes and training on
the following.
• Academic presentation skills and selfmarketing (Manchester University).
www.athenaswan.org.uk
•
• ‘Research survival skills’, ‘How to give
a research talk’, ‘Writing scientific
papers’ (Department of Physiology and
Pharmacology, Bristol University).
•
• Certificate in Research Career Management, to
improve effectiveness in managing research
projects and improving personal and career
development skills (Reading University).
Develop an informal mentoring (‘buddy’)
network for postdoctoral researchers (Chemistry
Department, York University).
Set up a forum for contract research staff to
provide support and discussion on relevant
career issues (Nottingham University).
•
in personal and professional development’
(Manchester University).
Provide cross-university, as well as internal,
mentoring for women researchers (Queen’s
University, Belfast).
•
•
• ‘Preparing your CV for promotion’, ‘Engaging
Promote external mentoring schemes, such as
that of the British Pharmacology Society, and
encourage other professional bodies to set up
similar schemes (Department of Physiology and
Pharmacology, Bristol University).
Set up a forum to reduce social and academic
isolation and to help post-doctoral researchers
create wider networks within the Department
(Psychology Department, York University).
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publishing and maximising research impact
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• Writing proposals and preparation for job
•
•
Provide information on researcher development
initiatives available to early-career scientists,
one-to-one career advice, and information
on how career progression and childcare
responsibilities can best be managed
(Nottingham University).
Hold regular careers workshops, where more
senior members of the faculty talk about
career pathways and making the transition to
academia (Biochemistry Department, Bristol
University).
Introduce a Personal Development Planning
Programme for research students to encourage
them to reflect on learning by assessing their
progress (Bedfordshire University).
Set up fellowships for young women scientists
and engineers to provide flexibility and
support while they establish a research career
(Nottingham University).
•
Email contract researchers about training and
opportunities such as fellowships (Lancaster
University).
•
Develop a targeted leaflet to advise researchers
about courses that would aid their transition to
lecturer (Heriot Watt University).
•
Appoint and fund Departmental Skills
Development Coordinators to support
postgraduate students and postdoctoral
researchers with career and professional
development advice and opportunities (York
University).
interviews (Lancaster University).
Consider setting up a career development
programme specifically for contract research
staff in conjunction with other universities,
to help researchers develop a strategic
research profile and develop leadership skills
(Nottingham University).
Develop a Professional Development Record
to help staff document new skills and seek
out training and development opportunities
(Reading University).
•
• Project management, career planning,
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Give postdoctoral researchers the opportunity
of tutorial teaching experience, with formal
training beforehand (Chemistry Department,
York University).
Set up a website for postdoctoral researchers
with a range of features and links (Biology
Department, York University).
Appraisal and performance
management
•
Ensure all research staff with contracts longer
than one year have a performance and
development review (Manchester University).
•
Conduct regular audit to ensure appraisals for
all staff, including contract research staff, are
carried out (Leicester University).
•
Formalise staff review and development
processes to help identify staff career
aspirations and provide a mechanism by which
any barriers to career progression, genderrelated or otherwise, might be overcome or
worked around (Physiology and Pharmacology
Department, Bristol University).
•
Introduce a system of research staff
development that encourages research staff
to look positively at career management
and offers support and training in career
development (Reading University).
•
Introduce formal training for Principal
Investigators who supervise contract
researchers (Lancaster University).
•
Provide written guidance on the roles and
responsibilities of contract researchers and
Principal Investigators (Chemistry Department,
York University).
•
Set up a redeployment system to retain
contract researchers by encouraging those at
risk of redundancy to place a copy of their CV
in a department box-file, and requiring any
academic securing grant funds or preparing a
grant application to check this file for suitable
candidates before advertising the post
(Biochemistry Department, Bristol University).
www.athenaswan.org.uk
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Maternity/paternity leave
Moving onto permanent contracts
•
Introduce a Fixed-term Contract Agreement
to systematically move staff from fixed-term
to open-ended contracts (Biochemistry
Department, Bristol University).
•
Consider extending contracts to enable fixedterm researchers to return from maternity leave
and complete the outstanding months on their
original contract (Reading University).
•
Provide bridging funds to departments to cover
the salaries of key research staff, to enable them
to move from fixed-term to standard contracts
(Bedfordshire University).
•
Allow maternity leavers with research grants
to place those grants in abeyance, while the
school employs the other contract research
staff from the grant as temporary teaching
fellows until the grant is resumed on the staff
member’s return from maternity leave (School
of Psychology, Nottingham University).
Inclusion
•
•
•
•
Include research staff in consultation exercises
and gather enough information to make
informed decisions on tackling their issues
(Leicester University).
Organise workshops specifically for
postdoctoral researchers, to determine their key
concerns (Bedfordshire University).
Hold a ‘next generation leaders’ retreat for
early-career researchers so they can inform
the development of research priorities (Queen
Mary, University of London).
Hold an annual Research Staff Conference to
provide an opportunity for networking with
other research staff across the university (Bristol
University).
www.athenaswan.org.uk
Sources of further information
Equality Challenge Unit – research and advice
on equality and diversity in higher education.
www.ecu.ac.uk
UK Resource Centre for Women in SET –
advice, statistics and information about women
in SET. www.ukrc4setwomen.org.uk
Research Councils UK – a strategic partnership
between the seven Research Councils, working
together to enhance the overall impact and
effectiveness of their research. www.rcuk.ac.uk
Vitae – tools and advice for researchers, their
supervisors, managers and employers.
www.vitae.ac.uk