Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers

The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers is an agreement between stakeholders to improve the employment and support for researchers in higher education in the UK which LSTM signed up to in 2020..

Key milestones

  • Promoted equity and inclusion: We have a institution-wide inclusion strategy and are conducting equality impact assessments for all policies. We report annually on researcher diversity across career stages, and have been improving wellbeing and safety mechanisms, including appointing Dignity at Work champions and mental health first aiders, implementing wellbeing activities, and launching the Report & Support portal.
  • Developed workload guidance and leadership support: We have clarified expectations for leadership roles and enhanced support for Committee Chairing roles. We are in the process of augmenting support for managers and leaders through training on HR responsibilities and line management.
  • Upholding research integrity: We hold regular training workshops, have updated misconduct policies, and appointed a cohort of research integrity champions.

Employment

Improved recruitment Employment

  • Improved recruitment, transparency and career pathways: We have enhanced internal advertising processes and implemented monthly data reporting to monitor equity throughout hiring stages. We updated promotion criteria, ensuring contributions to knowledge exchange education and creating a positive research culture are fairly rewarded, and defined  clear routes for postdoctoral researchers and programme management career pathways
  • Strengthened onboarding and deployment support: We launched a digital onboarding portal and appointed a dedicated People Services Advisor for global deployments, while providing clarity and consistency on benefits for staff relocating internationally.
  • Enhanced job security and staff recognition: We are providing internal funding opportunities and clear information on contract types. We have established a redeployment process with active matching and support for staff nearing contract end, introduced LSTM awards and appreciation days, and are actively sharing staff achievements within and beyond LSTM.

Career & Professional Development

Enriched career development planning and learning opportunities: We have supported staff’s development of annual Learning & Development plans, updated guidance, training and resources aligned to the Researcher Development Framework, and are providing regular training listings on the intranet and newsletters.

Established diverse mentoring and performance support: Through the Ignite programme, we launched a pilot mentoring scheme that is connecting staff with professionals within and beyond academia. We are conducting annual performance conversations monitored through and supported by accessible templates.

Supported career transitions: Through the Prosper in LSTM programme, we have supported staff thinking about their next career move and held a discussion panel of former staff who have moved into roles outside academic research.