Vitae research staff conference 200905 November 2009

Dr Dylan Sweetman

Presenter Organisation

University of Nottingham

Presenter Job

Lecturer in Molecular Embryology

Sessions & Workshops

Getting your voice heard - How research staff can play an active role in the Concordat implementation

Biography

From 1997 Dylan worked as a postdoc for 12 years on a variety of projects in the Universities of Dundee and East Anglia. Although this time has seen many changes for research staff, such as the introduction of the Concordat and fixed term working regulations, on the ground little seems to be happening to produce any real change.

Because of this Dylan has been increasingly involved in research staff career development issues as he became ever more frustrated with the lack of support for researchers in academia. As part of this Dylan sat on university committees concerned with research staff issues, became the research staff representative for the local branch of UCU and worked with human resources to produce a code of conduct for the employment and career development of research staff within the University of East Anglia.

Dylan is convinced that researchers need to become better at getting themselves heard. Too often research staff feel vulnerable and disposable and so do not speak up, leaving universities and other employers free to continue the short term nature which characterises research staff contracts.

Since May of this year Dylan has been a lecturer at the University of Nottingham.