Taking the lead: researcher-led development Claire Jackson and Dr Rachel Clark

The why? ‘HEIs need to be more pro-active in providing PGs with the opportunity to develop the core competencies they need to succeed in a competitive job market.’ BIS, One Step Beyond: Making the most of postgraduate education organisational benefit community building/raising awareness impact PRES/CROS

The why? self-development widen participation in researcher development network intrapreneurial capabilities strategic vision inter/multidisciplinary collaborations

The who? Researcher Development Programme (RDP) Team Faculty Researcher Development Coordinators Researcher Development Associate Stakeholders Faculties Research Staff Research Students Supervisors Careers Service CAPLE HR External Stakeholders Vice Deans Senior Officers Researcher Development Implementation Group (RDIG) Researcher Development Group (RDG)

The what? Initiatives have included: Tutor Pool Researcher Innovation Fund (RIF) Launchpad: sustainable intrapreneurial opportunities for researchers Faculty Researcher Development Champions (FRDC) Programme All programmes have widened the Researcher Development Network at Strathclyde

The Learning Cycle Planning the next steps Having an experience Thinking about an experience Concluding from the experience Learning Stages:The Learning Cycle: Activist: Having an experience Reflector: Thinking about an experience Theorist: Concluding from the experience Pragmatist: Planning the next steps

Tutor Pool ‘building a community of researchers to develop and deliver RDP programmes’  approx 20 researchers engaged in 2010  Vitae programmes GRADschool and ER  sustainability  increased awareness of and engagement in RDP  community-building However…lack of retention can = prevention!

Researcher Innovation Fund (RIF) ‘bid-based initiative to apply for funding of up to £1,000 to support projects organised by researchers, for researchers’  approx 5 projects funded in 2010  process provides support from beginning to end  mentoring mantra  projects have resulted in further collaborations and bids  community-building However…effective support and guidance critical!

Researcher Innovation Fund (RIF) Funded projects (2010) include:  Multidisciplinary Symposium  National Psychology Seminar (PsyPAG and PGwT)  Strathclyde Energy Researchers Network (SERN)  Collaborative project to develop an investigate research manual  Young Mathematical and Science researcher skills workshop

Launchpad: sustainable intrapreneurial opportunities for researchers ‘providing ‘real-life’ opportunities for intrapreneurial learning mapped to strategic themes of the institution for organisational benefit’  Successful programme in its 5 th consecutive year  Centred around annual event (University Research Day) organised by research community, for the research community  Engages business/industry, communities and the public in research  Over 500 researchers have been involved since 2007 However…impact?

Researcher Development Programme The interaction between the academic/research community and professional services facilitated by Faculty Researcher Development Champions ScienceEngineering Business Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Faculty Researcher Development Champions (FRDC) ‘Secondments of research staff (0.2 FTE) as a development opportunity to bridge the gap between academic, researcher and professional services communities’  Implementing and supporting delivery of RDP  Stimulating more academic and researcher-led development  Vehicle for communication  Engaging the research staff community specifically  Delivering impact However…coordination is key!

Faculty Researcher Development Champions (FRDC) Deliverables focus on:  Communication  Development  Dissemination  Evaluation Each had an additional project linked more closely to their discipline area

Faculty Researcher Development Champions (FRDC) 2010 Linda Richard Alan Rebecca Allan Chris

Researcher Development Associate A Researcher Development Associate was also appointed to undertake project-work within the RDP team, scoping out a project plan for developments in the research staff agenda. Rachel

What they said… “now fully realise the benefit of considering my personal development…the role added huge value to my CV and has even helped me in attaining a full-time post” FRDC “project outcomes have provided us with a research based platform from which further initiatives are now being developed” RIF researcher “an eye-opener in terms of my awareness of government/Research Council agenda with regard to early career researcher development, and how the university is responding to this” FRDC “…it’s particularly satisfying to have the chance to have my voice heard at an institutional level” FRDC “an excellent experience to build on my time and project management skills” Launchpad researcher

Lessons learned BE NICE!  Benchmark, benchmark, benchmark  Engage, engage, engage  Network-build  Impact  Communication  Enthusiasm = results!

Find out more… Claire Jackson, Researcher Development Officer

Introductions  Name?  Institution?  Researcher-led activity?  New initiatives in this area?

Discussion GROUP 1 (a) Sustainability post-Roberts for this type of activity – what are the challenges and how could they be overcome? GROUP 2 (b) Would working collaboratively across institutions (i) add value? (ii) increase impact? What could this look like?