Having both the Chair and Secretariat based at NTU offers several advantages, including enhanced communication, established relationships, and the opportunity to build on the excellent work already being carried out to support researcher development — which lies at the heart of the RDC’s mission.

The main contact at NTU is Dr Christopher Barenberg, Research Associate for the UK Researcher Development Concordat, who is looking forward to working in this role and to meeting colleagues in due course.

For enquiries, please contact the Secretariat via email at: rdc@ntu.ac.uk

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to colleagues at the Scottish Funding Council, who kindly undertook the Secretariat role during the interim period.

Link to the templates can be found Resources

Richard is a trustee of the John Van Geest Cancer Research Charity and Chair of the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility Board. He is also a member of the East Midlands Combined County Authority Innovation Advisory Board; Chair of the UK Researcher Development Concordat Strategy Group and Chair of the UKRI-BBSRC Transformative Technologies Strategic Advisory Panel providing insight, horizon scanning and policy advice to UKRI.

Richard shares his thoughts on his new role as Chair of the RDCSG in a WonkHE blog published today Supporting the careers of researchers means innovation, not isolation | Wonkhe.

The report provides an overview of the work undertaken by the RDCSG to meet its commitments as governing body for the Concordat. The report also covers:

• Highlights from the Research Culture and Practice Forum
• Work on fairness of employment in research
• Case studies on supporting the development of researchers
• Priorities for the RDCSG in 2024.

You can download the

• Full 2023 annual report.

With sessions spread over two days, we heard from a range of fantastic speakers about the huge amount of activity being done to address research culture and practice issues in the sector. Speakers included researchers, institutional concordat leads, members of concordat steering groups, as well as representatives from government, funders, industry and policy organisations.

Day one provided insight into the role of a number of different concordats and initiatives responsible for driving positive research culture, how universities are implementing them, and the benefits they bring. We also heard about the changing landscape for technical professionals in higher education and research, before ending day one with a future facing discussion about how to keep the momentum going and ensure concordats and initiatives continue to be effective in a changing landscape.

Day two took a deep dive into key research culture and practice issues, progress, and achievements. Professor Melanie Welham, the UKRI Executive Champion for People, Culture and Talent, opened with an overview of the work that UKRI are doing to support people, culture and talent. We heard about how institutions are implementing research integrity principles and practice and how knowledge exchange contributes to a positive research culture.

There was also a session exploring examples of good practice in the sector to address the systemic issue of job precarity in academic research and technical roles, featuring a fantastic example of collaboration between stakeholders at the University of Bath in their progressive agreement to address casualisation. Another session explored the opportunities available to researchers to apply their knowledge and expertise beyond academia.

We are excited to keep the momentum from these discussions going. To arrange a discussion, or if you would like to submit a Researcher Story to raise awareness of good practice in supporting the career development of researchers, please contact CDRSecretariat@universitiesuk.ac.uk.

If you would like to watch the session recordings of the Research Culture and Practice Forum, please visit the Events UUK YouTube channel.

Published in March 2022, the first snapshot review of the concordats and agreements shone a light on the complexity of the landscape. While acknowledging the importance of these initiatives in contributing to positive research cultures and environments, the review called for better alignment and coordination to help reduce administrative burden and increase their collective impact. In response to these findings, Universities UK, UK Research and Innovation and Wellcome commissioned consultants Oxentia Ltd for a second phase of the review, bringing together initiative owners and the wider research and innovation community to explore opportunities to enhance the influence, capacity and efficiency of the concordats and agreements and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy across the landscape. The report outlines a plan of action, developed collaboratively with initiative owners and key stakeholders.

The findings from the report show a shared commitment among initiative owners to better integrate and align the concordats and agreements. Moving towards a more ‘culture-centric’ approach, whereby separate concordats and initiatives work to a shared set of values and principles, will contribute to a shared understanding of positive research culture and the positive actions required to achieve it. Initiative owners will need to work collaboratively, both with each other and with the other key instruments and stakeholders in the sector, to streamline and align data collection and reporting requirements to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and maintain a common purpose.

The Researcher Development Concordat Strategy Group (RDCSG) were represented in the development of the report and support its findings. This is a collective responsibility and the RDCSG is committed to dedicating time and engagement to support the outcomes of the Review. The actions outlined will also support the objectives in both the UK government’s R&D People and Culture Strategy and Independent Review of Research Bureaucracy to enact positive culture change and minimise bureaucracy, objectives which the RDCSG wholly and actively supports. We look forward to working with other initiatives and stakeholders in developing this aligned understanding and approach to creating positive and inclusive research environments.

The report provides an overview of the work undertaken by the RDCSG to meet its commitments as governing body for the Concordat. In 2022, the RDCSG expanded its membership and established dedicated working groups to review the Concordat, measure success, and strengthen engagement with the research and innovation community. Key highlights include developing and launching a dedicated Concordat website to support signatories and share good practice, successfully delivering the annual research culture and practice forum, and publishing new reporting templates to support the monitoring and evaluation of sector progress.

The report also provides the first systemic analysis of signatories’ action plans and institutional annual reports, highlighting the vast and varied amount of activity being done to improve the research culture, employment conditions and professional development for research staff. There are excellent examples of case studies from both RDCSG member organisations and institutional signatories, covering a wide range of innovative initiatives, from lifelong skills and career development platforms to to new and inclusive funding application assessments.

Professor Julia Buckingham, Chair of the Researcher Development Concordat Strategy Group, said:

“With the pandemic waning, 2022 was a year of growing momentum and we have been hugely encouraged to see the green shoots of positive change. A systemic analysis of our signatories’ action plans and the first tranche of institutional annual reports showed a very high level of engagement and ambition, with a degree of commonality of focus and a range of examples of good practice and innovative approaches to dealing with the systemic challenges.”

The RDCSG are aware that there is still much to do, and the report concludes with our key priorities and commitments for 2023. The precarity of research careers remains a systemic issue, and we plan to launch an open discussion with the sector to explore ways to improve the terms of employment for researchers. We will also work to gain a better understanding of researcher career paths, both in academia and beyond, to improve the careers advice and professional development opportunities available to our highly talented and skilled researchers.

We will also be bringing the research community together again for our 2023 Research Culture and Practice Forum in June, which we are hosting in partnership with the Technician Commitment, as well as the Research Integrity and Knowledge Exchange Concordats. This will be a fantastic opportunity to learn from the diverse range of voices in the sector about the work being done to address key research culture and practice issues, and the role of the concordats and initiatives in driving positive change.

You can download the:

• full 2022 annual report
• further resources and publications for the Researcher Development Concordat

As part of their signatory responsibilities, institutions are expected to develop an action plan within one year of signing the Concordat, and to submit a short report each year thereafter summarising the progress they have made and noting any changes to their action plans. The purpose of these reports is two-fold:

• For institutions to reflect on their progress and consider their next steps
• For the Researcher Development Concordat Strategy Group (RDCSG) a) to have oversight of the progress being made and the barriers to be overcome and b) to fulfil its obligation to report annually to Research England and to the funding bodies in the devolved nations.

In September 2022, the RDCSG approved the development of the new reporting templates, seeking to streamline the reporting process and minimise the burden on institutions while at the same time standardise the information that is provided. This will make it easier to monitor and evaluate progress across the sector, as well as support institutions and share good practice widely. Another benefit, is that the template wording aligns with that in the UK process of the HR Excellence in Research Award (managed by Vitae), meaning Award holders are no longer required to submit a report for the Concordat in the year they submit their paperwork for the Award.

Guidance on using the new templates

The new reporting templates can be accessed on our resources page, as well as in the links above.

When completing the templates, institutions are asked to provide the following information in respect to each of the three pillars (environment and culture, employment, and professional development of researchers):

• Institutional context/approach in relation to the Concordat
• Strategic objectives and implementation plans
• Measures of success
• Actions taken, and evaluation of progress made
• Lessons learned, and any modifications to the action plan and measures of success
• A forward look to key objectives in the next reporting period
• A brief statement describing the report approval process

Universities and research institutes are also encouraged to consider the unique context for each of their key stakeholder groups (institutions, managers of researchers, and researchers).

For more information on the Concordat reporting process, as well as how to align reporting with the HR Excellence in Research Award, see here.

The RDCSG will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the new templates, and make changes where necessary. If you have any questions, or suggestions on how the reporting process could be improved, please contact CDRSecretariat@universitiesuk.ac.uk.

The University’s Concordat Steering Group (CSG) provides a robust framework for the implementation, realisation of benefits and monitoring of support for the University’s diverse and talented postdoctoral and early career research fellow community. This transparent approach to internal governance is led by the Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Impact (PVC R&I) who chairs the CSG in liaison with the University’s Head of Researcher Development and Research Culture. The CSG has a diverse, targeted membership, including the Associate PVCs for Research and Impact, the University’s Research Staff Association (RSA), research-related professional departments such as HR, the Diversity and Equality Team, Research Support Office, the Open Research Team and the Technicians Network. Critically, there are 7 research staff representatives on the CSG, who ensure the Group’s accountability to Liverpool’s postdoctoral and early career researchers, and consistent reflections of the researcher experience at Liverpool.

Operation of the Concordat Steering Group

The work of the CSG is fully embedded across the operation of the University. The Academy, a recognised centre of excellence in researcher development, leads the inclusive approach to the development and implementation of the Concordat via 6-8 weekly formal CSG meetings. The CSG reports to the R&I Committee, creating alignment to other R&I activities and, in turn, reports to University’s Council and the Planning and Resources Committee. In addition, the Concordat is embedded within parallel activities, including the formal management of the Athena Swan Charter, the Technician Commitment and the Race Equality Charter, ensuring that synergies and aspirations for research staff are foregrounded across all key areas.

Dedicated workshops with CSG members enable a governance approach that regularly reviews progress, collates input from key stakeholders, shares effective practice across Faculties, ensures alignment, accelerates decision making and enables efficient communication around research staff experiences.

Direct Insights into Researchers’ Lived Realities 

The RSA provides a vital forum for Concordat action plan progress, priorities and review. All weekly RSA e-bulletins contain a separate section on Concordat-related updates and information, including signposting resources related to wellbeing, EDI, bullying and harassment, HR policies and guidance for research staff on using their 10 days of professional development, and more. In addition, the RSA organises annual Concordat consultation sessions with its 920 members, the most recent being a session in May 2022 titled ‘What does the Concordat mean for me? The UK Concordat from the perspective of research staff’.

Postdoctoral and early career research fellows at Liverpool also directly contributed into the design and development of the University’s obligatory role-related open-access module on the Researcher Development Concordat. This development module is the first of its kind in the Higher Education sector nationally and empowers researchers with the knowledge to actively be part of the institution’s efforts for change.

Placing the research community at the heart of Concordat governance processes means the University of Liverpool not only provides a voice to those it seeks to support, but actively empowers researchers to engage meaningfully in the enhancement of institutional research culture.

The University of Liverpool is a signatory to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers.