RDF Planner Pilot Evaluation report out now

17/07/2013

‘It is an excellent tool, it has enhanced my thinking’

RDF Planner Pilot participant

Ten months after the launch of  the RDF Planner, a new career-management application for the 21st century researcher, we are pleased to present the results of the UK Pilot phase.

The RDF Planner Pilot Evaluation report indicates that subscribing to the RDF Planner has a number of positive outcomes for researchers, including:

  • changed perceptions of Personal Development Planning
  • increased awareness of the Researcher Development Framework
  • increased thinking about and responsibility for professional development.

 The RDF Planner is an online tool which enables researchers to:

  • keep a record of all their professional development activities in one place
  • get exclusive access to institutional resources and Vitae's materials to support their career development, such as RDF descriptor guides with tips on how to improve in teaching, leadership, innovation etc...
  • print reports for discussions with mentors, supervisors, PIs, career advisors etc
  • upload files such as CVs, conference details, testimonials etc to record achievements
  • view the attributes of successful researchers through a ‘lens' on employability, enterprise, leadership and more
  • access the Planner anywhere with an internet connection and throughout their career

Click here for subscription information

RDF Planner subscribers include King's College London, University of Hull, University of the West of England, University of Reading, Sheffield Hallam University, St Andrew's University and the Australian Cooperative Research Centres Association. Anna Price, Researcher Development Adviser, Kings College London said:

‘Researchers participating in the course tell us that they have found the Planner useful to bring together the evidence for their existing skills. They like how the Planner makes it easy for them to see the gaps in their skill set and then shows them what courses and resources are available to them through the University to address those gaps.’

Dr Keith Fildes, Researcher Development Adviser, Sheffield Hallam University said:

‘We particularly liked that it integrated all the different aspects of the development process - development needs analysis, personal development planning, accessing, and then recording development - and explicitly aligned them to the RDF[...]The software is intuitive, simple to navigate around and has a slick interface. The feedback so far from both researchers and those administering the system has been very positive.’

Tony Peacock, CEO of CRCA said of the Planner:

‘The CRC Program has always had a strong motivation to improve the level of interaction between researchers and industry. As soon as you start doing that, you realise that different skills sets are required. The RDF (Planner) helps researchers identify their own strengths and weaknesses and will be a really useful tool for them in managing their career’

If you would like to trial the Planner with your researchers for free, please for more information.

Individual subscriptions are also available. You can view the application on www.rdfplanner.net

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