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Enhancing Research Staff CareersResearch Staff Development at the University of Bristol
22 September 2014
1Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development
Me
• Background in Research• Career route• Current role – Head of Academic Staff Development
Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development2
22 September 2015
Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development
University of Bristol• Russell Group research-intensive
• 83% research world-leading or internationally excellent in REF 2014
• 6 faculties split into 25 Schools
• 15,400 undergraduates*
• 2250 postgraduates*
• 6199† staff (2846 academic)* 2013/14 figures† January 2015 figures
22 September 2015
Academic Staff Development
Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development 4
18 September 2014
• Based in HR – working with staff
• Mission: to enhance excellence across the range of academic practice by developing individuals and championing development provision across the University.
• Full range of academic practice for academics in all roles:• Research skills, leadership development, learning and teaching,
professional skills, career development, specific research staff support
• One full-time post working with research staff plus some of my time and some admin time
bris.ac.uk/staffdevelopment/academic
Challenges for research staff
• Fixed term grant funding• Career progression• Recognition and value
• How do we manage some of these issues at Bristol?
Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development5
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Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development6
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Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development7
22 September 2015
Progression and promotion
1. Progression is the procedure giving individuals in progressable roles the expectation of being moved to the next role profile level provided performance is acceptable.
2. Promotion is the procedure giving an individual the opportunity to move within their pathway to a new role profile level on the basis of peer reviewed achievement.• Involves providing evidence of the relevant level(s) of excellence required for the
pathway/profile in question.
Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development8
22 September 2015
Fixed-term contracts
• Most pathway 2 staff will be put onto open-ended contracts from later this year
• Redundancy procedure altered to support this after feedback• Could this change culture?• Could this support progression?
Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development9
22 September 2015
Research staff voice
• Reps• Working party• Involvement in reward, FTC review, raising issues
around recognition of teaching responsibilities, progression and promotion etc.
Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development10
22 September 2015
Benefits and challenges
• Role profiles give more clarity for appointments and for progression
• RS named as Academic Staff and a recognised pathway to develop in role
• Culture of “contract researchers” etc still there so terminology not embedded
• Funding still has big impact for pathway 2 in terms of progressability• Ambiguity over actual role developing and more responsibility vs not being progressable
• RS working party looking at this
• Open-ended contracts to majority of P2 supports this• Hasn’t supported the change in culture hoped
• Expectation management
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Benefits and challenges• Value to the researcher
• Power dynamic between PI and Researcher• Giving opportunities and supporting progression
• Less impact from line manager on P1 and less fear of speaking out
• Pros and cons for P1 vs P2• P1 have automatic right to progression but if not performing, capability. P2 can stay.
• A number of issues for P3
• Removal of retirement has reduced opportunity of new roles to apply for (although once on P1, can move up)
Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development12
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What does my team do?
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Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development14
Skills training
InductionLeavers
Transitions
Reward and
Recognition
Cultural Change
Comms and
Marketing
Advice and
Guidance
Widening Horizons
Online Resources
Enabling self-
direction
Policy Development
22 September 2015
• Cultivating Leadership – Understanding and Leading Yourself and Others
• Social Media Series• Presenting with confidence and flair • Navigating People Management• Introduction to Grant Applications • Quality Papers • How to prepare a good research bid• Influencing Policy• Information Overload (x 3 speed reading, notetaking
and memory skills) • Personal Impact and effective networking• Influencing Others• Regular Productive Academic writing
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• Business Engagement and Research Impact: Who, How and What
• Collaborating successfully with others on projects• Public engagement• Engaging with policy- makers• Book Writing • Intro to Human Tissue Act• Developing your research strategy• Getting People Talking • Planning your social media strategy• Statistics refreshers• Moving on from academia• Keeping your research project on track• Working towards a lectureship• Interview skills
Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development 16
CREATE
22 September 2015
Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development
“I think meeting 30 other people across a range of disciplines has been very interesting. It has encouraged me to look for and actively pursue interdisciplinary collaborations.”
“It provided an opportunity to share professional and personal histories with peers and to learn about very diverse research in science, engineering and the humanities…..from the local region.”
“I have particularly benefitted from the sessions on engaging research-with policy, with the media and with the public. I have already begun to profit from these skills, building new policy links since the Crucible and putting the media training into practice in a series of recent radio interviews.”
bris.ac.uk/staffdevelopment/academicbris.ac.uk/researchstaffsouthwestcrucible.org
renkei-researcher-schools.org
Dr Alison Leggett, Head of Academic Staff Development 18
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