Brunel University London has joined institutions across the UK in signing the Researcher Development Concordat.
The new concordat, published in September 2019 by professional development programme Vitae, commits its signatories to supporting the professional development of their research staff by signing up to seven core principles.
Brunel joins 15 other institutions in signing the concordat, adding to 15 institutions that had already signed up.
The Concordat consists of seven core principles:
1. Recognition of the importance of recruiting, selecting and retaining researchers with the highest potential to achieve excellence in research.
2. 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.
3. Researchers are equipped and supported to be adaptable and flexible in an increasingly diverse, mobile, global research environment.
4. The importance of researchers’ personal and career development, and lifelong learning, is clearly recognised and promoted at all stages of their career.
5. Individual researchers share the responsibility for and need to proactively engage in their own personal and career development, and lifelong learning.
6. Diversity and equality must be promoted in all aspects of the recruitment and career management of researchers.
7. The sector and all stakeholders will undertake regular and collective reviews of their progress in strengthening the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK.
The Concordat was initially launched in 2008, but was relaunched in 2019 following an independent review. The review revealed that over 95% of respondents think support for researchers to develop their career and research identity should be increased.
Professor Julia Buckingham CBE, Chair of the Concordat Strategy Group and Vice-Chancellor and President of Brunel University London said: “The sector has collective responsibility to uphold the Principles of the Concordat and I hope all organisations with an interest in supporting the career development of their researchers will show their commitment by joining the list of signatories.”
Reported by:
Press Office,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 266867
press-office@brunel.ac.uk