B6 - Recognition and value, good practice
Day 1 at 16:15 - There are a number of activities, complementary to core research activities where research staff can add value and contribute to an organisation's research environment, and subsequently its impact. Such activities may include supervision, mentoring, involvement in research staff associations, contributing to staff development and training and disseminating knowledge through public engagement or knowledge transfer.
These activities build transferable skills which are essential for career progression both within and outside the research environment. However it is often difficult to engage researchers in events and training which are not central to their core research and there is widely varying practice on how the value of researcher contributions to non-core activities is recognised.
This interactive workshop explored barriers to engagement with transferable skill development and seeked solutions to overcome these. The workshop examined and shared best practice around formal and informal mechanisms which recognise and value researcher contributions to non-core activities. Strand - All Researchers (context).
These activities build transferable skills which are essential for career progression both within and outside the research environment. However it is often difficult to engage researchers in events and training which are not central to their core research and there is widely varying practice on how the value of researcher contributions to non-core activities is recognised.
This interactive workshop explored barriers to engagement with transferable skill development and seeked solutions to overcome these. The workshop examined and shared best practice around formal and informal mechanisms which recognise and value researcher contributions to non-core activities. Strand - All Researchers (context).
| Day | Day 1 |
|---|---|
| Session | B |
| Start time | 16:15 |
| Strand | All Researchers (context) |
| Code | B6 |
| Presenters | Dr Nicola Woodward - Co-chair, UKRSA, Institute of Food Research Dr Sue Hewitt - Training and Development Manager, Norwich Biosciences Institutes |
Topics covered:
- what skills are essential to researcher career progression?
- what transferable skills are valued by researchers?
- what skills development areas present problems for engagement?
- what are the barriers to engagement, and how can these barriers be overcome?
- how are non-core activities captured, recognised and valued by line managers and organisations?
- what contribution should appraisal and performance review make to increasing engagement with, and recognising transferable skills development?
Workshop outcomes:
- this workshop provided an opportunity to understand the areas where there are difficulties in engaging research staff in their own personal development, discussions were had on how research staff can be encouraged to become involved in activities complementary to their core-research
- there were opportunities to hear of good practice as to how organisations recognise the contributions that research staff make to their organisations, and demonstrate their value.
Format:
Information, interaction and discussion.
