Research Councils UK (RCUK) has today (21 March 2013) launched a review of the revised funding arrangements for researcher development.
Previously, research organisations received payments for career development and skills training known as Roberts funding, but this is now embedded in the fees for postgraduate students and in the indirect costs of research grants.
The review will assess the impact of the funding change and establish whether researcher development has become embedded in research training and staff support.
We are inviting research organisations to respond to a brief survey 
by 30 May 2013. We are particularly interested in whether the research organisation:
- has embedded researcher development in strategies and policies, and reviews this similarly to other strategies
- can show a broad range of opportunities is available to both research staff and postgraduate researchers, and how this reaches across the research organisation
- can evidence on-going processes for enhancing their support and training for researchers
- has developed and established processes for determining and delivering resources for supporting the career development and training of both research staff and postgraduate researchers.
Professor Rick Rylance, Chair of RCUK, said: “It is vital that researchers are equipped with the essential skills to develop their work and also to help them have an impact on the economic and social wellbeing of the UK throughout their careers. When the funding arrangements were revised, we made a commitment to review how they are working to ensure that postgraduate researchers and research staff continue to have relevant training and development opportunities. We need as many research organisations as possible to take part in our survey to ensure the review is robust and provides a benchmark for future best practice.”
In autumn 2013, RCUK will publish the anonymised results from the survey, incorporating information from other sources including evaluation of awards for ‘HR Excellence in Research’. The report will enable institutions to compare their strategies and policies with other organisations across the research landscape and draw on good practice.
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Further information
Contact:
Katie Clark
Press and Communications Manager
Tel: 01793 444592 or email: Katie Clark
Notes to editors
The letter and survey sent to research organisations, and further background information, is available here.
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research Councils who annually invest around £3 billion in research. We support excellent research, as judged by peer review, that has an impact on the growth, prosperity and wellbeing of the UK. To maintain the UK’s global research position we offer a diverse range of funding opportunities, foster international collaborations and provide access to the best facilities and infrastructure around the world. We also support the training and career development of researchers and work with them to inspire young people and engage the wider public with research. To maximise the impact of research on economic growth and societal wellbeing we work in partnership with other research funders including the Technology Strategy Board, the UK Higher Education funding bodies, business, government, and charitable organisations. www.rcuk.ac.uk.
The seven UK Research Councils are:
- Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
- Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
- Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC);
- Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
- Medical Research Council (MRC);
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC);
- Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC).