Workshops

Day 1 at 15:30 - In 2011 at the end of the period of ring-fenced funding and as part of the transition to the sustainability of researcher development, RCUK invited institutions to describe the institutional impact of the Roberts ring-fenced funding of researcher development and ongoing institutional strategies for researcher development. The subsequent summary of the key messages was to provide the basis for the RCUK review in 2013 of the impact of the revised funding arrangements and their operation. Strand - Postgraduate researcher.

Day 1 at 15:30 - In 2011 at the end of the period of ring-fenced funding and as part of the transition to the sustainability of researcher development, RCUK invited institutions to describe the institutional impact of the Roberts ring-fenced funding of researcher development and ongoing institutional strategies for researcher development. The subsequent summary of the key messages was to provide the basis for the RCUK review in 2013 of the impact of the revised funding arrangements and their operation. Strand - Research staff.

Day 1 at 15:30 - To better understand the postgraduate market, HEFCE have been using the HESA student data to explore the flows of undergraduates into postgraduate taught and research programmes through matching student records. This workshop examined what the data analysis revealed in terms of the flows into postgraduate taught and research degrees from UK undergraduate degrees. It also explored what other data would be useful in understanding the flows and attractiveness of research degree programmes. Strand - Postgraduate researcher.

Day 1 at 15:30 - The HR Excellence in Research Award process is now an embedded part of the implementation of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers. An update on latest developments at European level was provided with an opportunity for discussion and feedback. During this workshop the initial findings of a major review of the implementation plans for all European organisations with the HR Excellence in Research Award were presented. The review identified a range of potential indicators that could be used to underpin the review process for the Award. Participants had an opportunity to consider and comment on the draft indicators. Strand - All Researchers (context).

Day 1 at 15:30 - Equality and diversity for researchers at all stages in their careers is a particular attention for funders of research exemplified by the recent RCUK expectations for equality and diversity, in the UK funding bodies requirements for REF and their funding of the Vitae Every Researcher Counts project as an important part of their implementation strategy for the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers. The expectation that research leaders and principal investigators will embed equality and diversity within the day to day management of researchers is clear. Vitae and the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) are currently working to develop a guidance document which highlights the range of initiatives that departments can develop to support researchers who share a particular protected characteristic and offer guidance on how to embed equality and diversity considerations within institutional and departmental practices both for the REF and to promote long term change. Strand - All Researchers (practice).

Day 2 at 10:45 - The RCUK and UK Funding Bodies have confirmed their support for researcher development through continued funding for Vitae. Vitae will continue to support professional development for both doctoral researchers and research staff, with a particular emphasis in the UK on supporting a 'step change in institutional support for research staff' and delivering the vision of the Concordat. This workshop explored what would constitute a step-change in support for research staff, how Vitae could best support institutions and how progress could be measured through existing mechanisms, including the HR Excellence in Research Award process. Strand - Research staff.

Day 2 at 10:45 - Research Councils are investing training resources in centres or clusters of excellence which provide the highest quality research training experience, facilities and development opportunities. There are different established and emerging models of Centres of Doctoral Training, posing new challenges to sustaining an integrated, holistic approach to researcher development within and between institutions, across and within cognate areas, and in collaboration with different sectors. Centres of excellence in doctoral training have existed since 2002. This workshop explored the challenges and opportunities for institutions in providing equality of opportunity in researcher development and how Vitae could best support institutions within this changing landscape. Strand - Postgraduate researcher.

Day 2 at 10:45 - The Vitae review of action plans from all institutions across Europe with the HR Excellence in Research Award identifies that institutions outside the UK give a higher emphasis to researcher mobility and internationalisation, reflecting a stronger emphasis on mobility in the European Charter and Code than the Concordat. This workshop explored how important is it for UK researchers to be equipped to work in a global research environment and identified examples of good practice in increasing the internationalisation of the UK researcher experience. Strand - All Researchers (practice).

Day 2 at 10:45 - REF 2014 includes a section on the assessment of the vitality and sustainability of the research environment within the Units of Assessment. This includes a people element, which looks at staffing strategy, staff development and postgraduate researchers. This workshop explored how researcher development activities could be used to contribute to Units of Assessments' submissions to REF. It introduced the Vitae REF 2014 briefing on the research environment template. Strand - All Researchers (context).

Day 2 at 10:45 - In December 2010 the Research Councils published their delivery plans setting out their priorities for the spending review period 2011-15. Common wording indicated a strong commitment to researcher development and an intention to manage the transition of the Vitae programme towards a self-sustaining position. This was confirmed in the RCUK delivery plan published in May 2011. This workshop outlined Vitae's strategy for the next two years, explored sector priorities for high quality researcher development provision and provided an opportunity for participants to input to Vitae's developing plans. Strand - All Researchers (context).