- Institution(s):
- Loughborough University
- Region(s):
- Midlands
- Date first submitted:
- 19 Nov 2008
- Date last modified:
- 3 Nov 2010
- Focus:
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- Researcher-led activities
- Personal effectiveness
- Research project skills
- Researcher development strategy/management
- Career development
- Audience:
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- Postgraduate researchers
- Research staff
- Supervisors
- Range:
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- Institution
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Rationale, aims and outcomes
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What is the rationale for doing this?
How does it fit with institutional strategy?
What are the main features of the provision?
What are the aims and expected outcomes?
Provides an opportunity for all research staff from across University to meet, network, learn about support available including other training provision.
The first conference was held 3rd June 08, the second on 29 June 2009, the 2010 conference was held on 24 June and in 2011 the fourth conference is scheduled for 20th June.
- Increased awareness of support including training & development provision, careers support - Research staff feel part of a community and valued by the University - Increased awareness of national agenda (e.g. Concordat) - Increased participation in training & development activities. - Improved networking skills - opportunity to share skills and build links across departments - opportunity to showcase research in poster competition (senior members of the Univesrity and external visitors took part in the judging).
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Engagement
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Are there any pre-requisites for engagement, e.g. levels of skill, years of experience, essential pre-activities?
How many participate in each 'activity'?
Around 18% of the University's research staff attended in 2009, could accomodate up to 170 delegates. In 2010 a similar proportion of researchers attended.
Senior members of University involved and include the Vice Chancellor, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) and Associate Deans (Research).
Staff from across a wide range of University support services attend and, learn about researchers' issues and communicated support available to researchers.
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Evaluation: benefits, challenges and next steps
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How do you monitor effectiveness?
Who do you seek feedback from?
Do you have benchmarks?
Benefits to research staff involved in planning - skills development in itself. Networking opportunity, and chance to discuss research, feel part of community, University-wide event raises profile of research staff across Univerisity. Very high level of engagement compared to other activities. Opportunity to disseminate information to research staff who may not otherwise engage.
- Getting sufficient interest from research staff - Balancing programme contents key is to involve research staff in the planning & organisation stage so that the conference is directly relevant to their needs.
- Request by research staff to keep the contents unique to the day i.e. not repeat contents of workshops available in normal programme of activities
- Staff from the Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty engage to a much lesser extent than Science and Engineering. Take steps to ensure that this group of staff are included in the day.
Organise fourth Annual Conference for 2011, engage Research Staff in the design and organisation, ensure that research staff have ownership of the content of the day and feel engaged, wish to participate.