Research managers, principal investigators and supervisors: how the Vitae RDF can work for you

Providing professional development for your research staff and doctoral candidates

Research Development Framework RDF domainsPrincipal investigators and supervisors have a significant role in supporting the professional development of researchers. The Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) can help provide that support. It enables structured conversations with researchers about progress to becoming a well rounded, capable and confident researcher.

Benefits of using the RDF as a PI or supervisor include:

  • structuring conversations about professional development to provide clear well-focused guidance
  • providing a framework to analyse the capabilities of your team
  • identifying useful areas to consider when drafting training and development plans in funding applications

Enhancing the professional development of researchers

Use the Vitae Researcher Development Framework on a regular basis to:

  • Work with individual researchers to explore strengths and areas for further development
  • Recommend formal and informal opportunities for development
  • Empower researchers to engage in their personal, professional and career development
  • Inform constructive discussions about career opportunities inside and outside academia that suit individual strengths
  • Plan regular review meetings or appraisals to explore skills and areas for development.

You might encourage your researchers to pro-actively use the Vitae Researcher Development Framework and the RDF Planner in their professional and career development. See examples of how researchers from different disciplines and at different career stages have found the RDF useful.

Find more information about supporting your researchers.

Institutional impact

If you support researcher development at institutional level, consider:

  • Proposing using the Researcher Development Statement as a basis to align institutional strategy with relevant national or international policy
  • Actively recommending and championing the Vitae Researcher Development Framework in your institution. The framework can inform training and development plans and activities and align them with your overall institutional strategy
  • Advocating an organisational subscription to the RDF Planner. This is an easy-to-use online application, based on the Vitae Researcher Development Framework, that helps researchers to plan and record their professional development effectively

See our RDF briefing note for Senior managers