The Researcher Concordat at the University of Glasgow
The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers ('Researcher Development Concordat') is an agreement between key stakeholders across Higher Education which aims to improve the employment and support for researchers and researcher careers in the UK.
The University of Glasgow has been a signatory of the Researcher Development Concordat since May 2020.
At Glasgow, we aim to ensure that every researcher is supported to be at their best, as part of an engaging, fair, and collegial culture in which people help each other to succeed, and to make informed active choices about their development and their careers.
The Concordat is the primary driver for delivering this ambition, and the Research Culture and Researcher Development portfolio (RC&RD) within the Research Services Directorate lead on delivery of the Concordat Action Plan (contact: researcher-development@glasgow.ac.uk). Our work to implement the Researcher Development Concordat is key for the delivery of our Research Strategy and on our Research Culture priorities.
We do this work in partnership with colleagues, including Professional Services Teams (College Research Offices; The Library; HR/People and Organisational Development; Careers, Employability and Opportunity) and key Research Culture governance structures: the Lab for Academic Culture, and the Research Culture Commons.
We provide continuous opportunities for dialogue, consultation, and information sharing with Research Staff via the Research Staff Assembly. Our Principal Investigator Development initiatives integrate our CAP into delivered content for the Managers of Researchers.
Our new Concordat University-level Action Plan 2024-2027, was co-created with researchers and managers of researchers from across the University, representing all four colleges.
As part of a shared responsibility to implement the Researcher Concordat, researchers should consider their role as key stakeholders, take ownership of their career development and positively engaging with appropriate development opportunities and actively contributing to a collegiate, fair and inclusive research culture.
Our role and the role of the institution is to support Researchers to:
- Reflect, create and act on a career and professional development plan
- Explore and prepare for a range of employment options across different sectors
- Access opportunities to develop awareness and experience of the wider research ecosystem including knowledge exchange, policy development, public engagement and commercialisation
- Develop their research identity and research leadership
As part of a shared responsibility to implement the Researcher Concordat, Managers of Researchers should consider and engage with opportunities to contribute the development and maintenance of a collegiate, fair and inclusive Research Culture and support the career and professional development of Researchers.
Our role and the role of the institution is to support Managers of Researchers to:
- Engage Researchers in regular constructive and supported career conversations
- Support Researchers to take ownership their career development, plan and engage with 10 days pro rata per year of career and professional development
- Identify opportunities and allow time for Researchers to develop their research identity and leadership
- Access training and development opportunities relating to the management and development of Researchers