Our Priorities for 2021/22
Our priorities for the forth coming year are to continue the work started in year 1 of our action plan and to progress the following actions:
1. Provide Clarity Around Career Expectations
- Use research-only staff data to inform support and raise awareness / review suitability of contracts for research-only staff.
- Develop further the resources and awareness of support around a diverse range of careers. Foster a change in mindset and provide targeted support for a range of careers.
2. Provide Opportunities for Research Staff to Undertake CPD
- Map out all provisions available to research-only staff both university wide and at College, School and Institute level - use this information to i) increase awareness of the range of support available to research-only staff, ii) ensure research-only staff are supported consistently across the University and iii) showcase and share best practice for supporting research-only staff.
- Complete a pilot of the CPD tracker and i) analyse uptake of the tracker, discuss and review with researchers its effectiveness, ii) consider CPD tracker data alongside research-only staff data and iii) set up QlikView dashboard for future reporting.
3. Enable and Equip Research Staff to Pursue a Variety of Career Destinations
- Use the ARC as a hub of external network engagement, hosting networking events for research-only staff in the ARC and engaging with businesses to match research-only staff expertise with their needs.
- Complete a survey to understand the support required around careers outwith the academic career path in this new post COVID era.
4. Track the Destinations of Our Research-Only Staff
- Develop and pilot a contacts database of researchers which will track the destination of research-only staff.
- Engage with funders and business to explore mobility of research-only staff.
5. Provide Support for Principal Investigators/Managers
- Support PIs to support their researchers by establishing a PIs network to allow PIs to share best practice and challenges that they have faced.
6. Communications
- Pilot a framework of support for research-only staff, designed to support researchers to be career informed and proactive in their development.
- Continue to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing provisions and support for research-only staff.
- Improve communication to research-only staff via inductions and a regular newsletter.