Vitae research staff conference 201103 November 2011

Event overview

The third Vitae Research Staff conference brought together members of research staff who are active in research staff associations (RSAs) or who wished to become so. Research staff associations are instrumental in the implementation of policies aiming to enhance the experience of research staff:

• RSAs input into skills and training provision for researchers which the Research Councils see as a priority to enhance the quality and output of the UK research base RSAs can enhance the research environment element of the UK Research Excellence Framework and have the potential to increase outputs and impact
• The UKRSA and local RSAs embrace the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and urge members of research staff to own and utilise it to affect changes in their institutions. The UKRSA is represented on the panel for assessing UK submissions from institutions for the European HR Excellence in Research award

"The UKRSA promote the RDF Professional Development Planner as a useful tool to help focus researchers on their career development. UKRSA encourage local research staff associations in organising sessions for researchers to share their own experiences using the Professional Development Planner.  It provides an excellent basis for identifying shared needs for careers and professional development whilst providing the basis for seeking additional support."

Last year's conference focused on the sustainability and embedding of local and national research staff associations (RSAs) as supportive structures for research staff. This year the emphasis was on regional RSAs, whilst consolidating and sharing our learning from setting up RSAs and increasing their impact.  

Regional RSAs will allow effective practice sharing throughout the year and provide vital support for members of research staff who have no access to a local RSA.  Substantial developments have already been made in setting up regional RSAs, with support from the Vitae Hubs. In previous years this conference has proven instrumental in stimulating engagement in RSAs and this year's event aimed to do the same for regional RSAs.

Participants:

• Discussed how research staff can get their voices heard more effectively in policy discussions, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally
• Shared how to build and maintain successful research staff communities with illustrative examples of institutional governance models
• Explored the contribution of RSAs to the building of institutional capacity to support research staff professional development and careers as well as the research environment
• Considered the research environment and examined issues that impact on research staff across institutional and disciplinary barriers and how to influence this
• Shared resources and best practice concerning setting up of local and regional RSAs, researcher engagement and increasing impact on research outcomes and researcher careers
• Received the new UKRSA report on the value for money of RSAs.

Outcomes:

• Participants will be up to date with latest policy initiatives and how they impact on research staff

• increased engagement of research staff  in RSAs, at  local,  national and regional levels, allowing RSAs to represent research staff more fully and have greater impact
• An increase in both participation and understanding of regional RSAs
• Individuals gained a greater knowledge of the issues that affect RSAs and how best to deal with them
• Increased sense of community for UKRSA and regional RSAs.

Who attended?

• Members of committees of local or regional RSAs
• Those interested in establishing RSAs
• RS who do not have access to departmental or institutional RSAs
• International people interested in RSAs
• A number of places are available for staff supporting research staff who are interested in  establishing RSAs