What is the Researcher Development Concordat?
The Researcher Development Concordat is an agreement between universities, research institutions and funders to support the career development of researchers in the UK. It outlines a number of obligations for key stakeholders in research, centred around three core principles – environment and culture, employment, and professional development – which seek to support good research culture. As signatories of the concordat, we commit to working towards significant change in these three areas.
What is the HR Excellence in Research Award (HR EiRA)?
Our obtaining and retaining of the HR Excellence in Research Award (HR EiRA) is an international recognition of the University’s commitment to supporting researchers and their development. The award recognises our commitment to the Researcher Development Concordat, to which we have been signatories since 2020. Our award has been reviewed every other year since 2016 and will be reviewed triennially from 2022.
How is our commitment evaluated?
As signatories of the concordat, the University submits an annual report to the Court of Governors, outlining progress and actions around researcher development. This work is managed by the University’s Researcher Development Working Group. Each time the University’s HR EiRA is evaluated, the group must update its action plan, which tracks actions, accountability and progress.
You can find below our submission documentation for the HR EiRA as well as our letter of commitment to the concordat.
If you have any questions or comments about our work in this area, please get in touch at [email protected].
Where can I find support with my development?
Please visit our Researcher Development Hub for up-to-date workshop listings, and to browse our growing bank of bitesize resources. The range of short videos and guides here are intended to act as refreshers to various parts of the research lifecycle and to prompt further conversation with members of the Research & Knowledge Exchange Office or your academic colleagues where appropriate. Please get in touch with us at [email protected] at any time.