ÂÒÂ×Ðã

Learn about how ÂÒÂ×Ðã’s research culture journey has evolved in partnership with our research community.

Background

Consultation (2021)

Over the years, the ÂÒÂ×Ðã research community has led many activities to support a healthy research culture.ÌýIn 2021, ÂÒÂ×Ðã carried outÌýa consultation of our research community thatÌýgeneratedÌý2.4k survey responses, 30 hours of focus groups and semi-structured interviews with 135Ìýcolleagues. The findings from ÂÒÂ×Ðã'sÌýconsultation were published in anÌýinternal report inÌýDecember 2021.ÌýThese mirrored the findings detailed in sector-wide reportsÌýsuch as those byÌýÌýand theÌý.

Key insights from the consultation

• ÂÒÂ×Ðã researchers want ÂÒÂ×Ðã’s research culture to be less competitiveÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýmore inclusive, collaborative, supportiveÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýcreativeÌýthan it currently is.ÌýTheir ideal research culture would include a greaterÌýfocus on  people, in addition to existing focus on outputs.
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• Many researchers acknowledge that ÂÒÂ×Ðã is innovative, excellent and ambitious. However, this excellence is perceived as coming at theÌýexpense of workplace experience and wellbeing.
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• Problematic behavioursÌýare largely driven byÌýworkload-related pressures, a system that is perceived to reward problematic behaviours and institutional systems and processes that are not considered fit for purpose.
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• Management is pivotalÌýin setting local culture in a large, devolved organisation.ÌýAt ÂÒÂ×Ðã, it appearsÌýundervalued, and it isÌýnot incentivisedÌýas it should be.ÌýWorkloadÌýwas mentioned as a barrier to good management practices.
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• Female researchers had less positive experiencesÌýthan their male counterparts particularly withÌýequitable and merit-based career progression.ÌýMore data is needed to understand the varied experiences of minority groups, but responses generally supported the hypothesis that staff from these groups face additional burdens due to a backdrop of underrepresentation, societal racism and prejudice.
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• TheÌýmore seniorÌýthe researcher theÌýgreater their job satisfaction.ÌýEarly career researchersÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýestablished researchersÌýreported theÌýmost negative experiencesÌýrelated to feeling valued, experiencing discrimination, bullying and/or harassment, support for wellbeing, and career progression.

Enhancing Research Culture Programme (2022)

From March to July 2022, we took the learnings from theÌýconsultation, shaped them into a set of recommendations and launched 39 cross-ÂÒÂ×Ðã and faculty-led projects to enhance research culture.ÌýThese projects allowed us to pilotÌýnew approaches and start responding to some of the things you told us were priorities.Ìý

The projects were supported by Enhancing Research Culture funds.Ìý

Delivering the Research CultureÌýRoadmap (2022 onwards)

In 2022, we built on our previous learnings and successes of the ERCP to create the Research Culture Roadmap, setting out our plan of action for the next 10 years. As of 2023, ÂÒÂ×Ðã is continuing to deliver and support a programme of cross-ÂÒÂ×Ðã andÌýfaculty-led initiatives that deliver against the themes and goals of the Roadmap.

More information

• Research Culture Roadmap
• Research culture case studies
• Full list of past and current research culture projects

About the Research Culture programme

ÂÒÂ×Ðã's Research Culture programme isÌýsponsored by Professor Geraint Rees, Vice-Provost for Research, Innovation and Global Engagement (RIGE).Ìý

• Find out more aboutÌýsupport available and how to work with the Research Culture team.