A new agreement published today will ensure that the UK's researchers are nurtured and supported during their career development. By setting out clear expectations for researchers, research managers, research institutions, and funders of research, the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers aims to enhance the research workforce and thereby sustain research excellence in the UK, bringing benefits to the health, economy and well being of our nation.
Minister for Science and Innovation, Ian Pearson, said:
We want the UK to be the best place in the world for science, research and innovation. The Concordat is an important contribution in realising the potential of researchers and demonstrating both nationally and internationally that researchers working in the UK can expect a high standard of management and support.
The new Concordat consists of seven principles for the future support and management of research careers, and under each principle, an explanation of how it may be embedded into institutional practice:
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Recognition of the importance of recruiting, selecting and retaining researchers with the highest potential to achieve excellence in research.
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Researchers are recognised and valued by their employing organisation as an essential part of their organisation's human resources and a key component of their overall strategy to develop and deliver world-class research.
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Researchers are equipped and supported to be adaptable and flexible in an increasingly diverse, mobile, global research environment.
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The importance of researchers' personal and career development, and lifelong learning, is clearly recognised and promoted at all stages of their career.
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Individual researchers share the responsibility for and need to pro-actively engage in their own personal and career development, and lifelong learning.
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Diversity and equality must be promoted in all aspects of the recruitment and career management of researchers.
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The sector and all stakeholders will undertake regular and collective review of their progress in strengthening the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK.
Research Councils UK (RCUK) and Universities UK (UUK) brought together a higher education sector working group with representatives of the UK's principal research funders, including the UK funding councils, government departments to develop policies and practices to support the growing number of staff employed to carry out research. This commitment to adopt the Concordat's principles should ensure maximum benefit to the researcher during their employment in higher education.
To support the UK's already high standing in Europe for its attention to the management of researchers, a gap analysis led by RCUK and UUK was conducted to align the Concordat with the principles of the European Charter and Code. In endorsing the principles of this Concordat, the signatories adopt the principles of the European Charter and Code.
Vitae, a new initiative to champion the professional and career development of both doctoral researchers and research staff in higher education institutions and research institutes is also launched today. The new organisation will play a major role in working with institutions and researchers to implement the Concordat. Funded by RCUK and managed by CRAC: The Career Development Organisation, Vitae builds on previous work by the UK GRAD Programme and UKHERD to build capacity in the HE sector to support researchers.
The Concordat is available to download from http://www.researchconcordat.ac.uk/
Contacts:
Toni-Jo Henderson, RCUK Press Office. Tel: 01793 444023
A Vitae press release is available at http://www.vitae.ac.uk/ or contact Maija Sirola on 01223 448510. UK GRAD Programme http://www.grad.ac.uk/; UKHERD http://www.ukherd.org.uk/
Notes to editors:
The signatories of this Concordat are:
Universities UK
GuildHE
Research Councils UK
The Royal Society
The British Academy
The Royal Academy of Engineering
The Wellcome Trust
Higher Education Funding Council for England
Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council
Department for Employment and Learning Northern Ireland
The National Institute for Health Research
The Department of Health
Scottish Government Health Directorates
British Heart Foundation
Technology Strategy Board
Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills. Britain can only succeed in a rapidly changing world if we develop the skills of our people to the fullest possible extent, carry out world class research and scholarship, and apply both knowledge and skills to create an innovative and competitive economy. The DIUS mission is to work with our partners to meet these challenges. http://www.dius.gov.uk/
Research Councils UK is the partnership of the seven Research Councils, the largest public funders of research in the UK. http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/
Universities UK is the major representative body and membership organisation for the higher education sector. It represents the UK's universities and some higher education colleges. Its 132 members http://www.UniversitiesUK.ac.uk/members/ are the executive heads of these institutions. Universities UK works closely with policy makers and key education stakeholders to advance the interests of universities and to spread good practice throughout the higher education sector. Founded in 1918 and formerly known as the Committee for Vice-Chancellors and Principals (CVCP), Universities UK is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2008.
The Technology Strategy Board promotes and supports research into, and development and exploitation of, technology and innovation for the benefit of UK business, in order to increase economic growth and improve the quality of life. It is sponsored by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). www.innovateuk.org.
The British Heart Foundation is the nation's heart charity, dedicated to saving lives through pioneering research, patient care, campaigning for change and by providing vital information. For more information on the BHF visit http://www.bhf.org.uk/
The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility.
The Department of Health (DH) works to improve the health and well-being of people in England by setting overall policy on all health issues, and it is responsible for the provision of health services through the National Health Service.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will distribute £7.5 billion in 2008-08 for teaching, research and related activities in 2008-09 to universities and colleges in England.
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) distributes more than £1.6 billion of public funds annually on behalf of the Scottish Government to Scotland's 19 higher education institutions (HEIs) and 43 further education (FE) colleges for learning, teaching, research and associated activities.
The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending around £650 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/