Managing researchers and research groups

The Researcher Development Framework enables researchers to articulate their skills and take a pro-active approach to their own professional development. It can be used by principal investigators and supervisors of researchers in their role supporting the development of researchers and in fulfilling the intentions of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, the QAA Code of practice for research degree programmes and the ‘Roberts' recommendations for postgraduate researchers and research staff.

The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers outlines an expectation that research managers will ‘actively encourage researchers to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity, so far as is possible within the project' (Principle 3, paragraph 9). 

You can use the Researcher Development Framework on a regular basis to:

• plan professional or career development for teams or groups of researchers
• work with individual researchers to explore strengths and areas for further development.
• identify formal and informal opportunities for development
• aid your own self-reflection and goal setting
• empower researchers to engage in their personal, professional and career development
• inform constructive development discussions and career opportunities inside and outside academia that suite their strengths
• use the framework for regular review meetings or appraisals to explore skills and areas for development.

‘The framework is very comprehensive and will be useful for individual researchers to map their career pathway and for managers to support researchers’ aspirations.’