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.