Researcher Development

Overview

Researcher development (RD) means any activity that contributes to the learning and growth of an individual researcher - see our RIKE Guide to RD time and activities for some examples. RD opportunities are provided both centrally and at School level.

RIKE coordinates a central researcher development offer to support academic researchers (postdocs and above), in line with our commitment to the Researcher development Concordat. This provision is planned around our core development themes, supporting key aspects of the Vitae RDF (see below for more info on this).

We encourage taking a reflective approach, using the Academic PDPR process to help support effective exploration of development needs, consolidation of learning and consideration of impact.

 

The Researcher Development Concordat

The Researcher Development Concordat is designed to improve employment and support for researchers in Higher Education in the UK - please see our RIKE Guide to the Researcher Development Concordat for an overview.

Professional and career development is a defining principle of the Concordat, and key to building a positive research culture. Our commitment to the Concordat means that:

As a university we will…

• Provide opportunities, structured support, encouragement and time for researchers to engage in development.

Managers of researchers should…

• Encourage their researchers to engage with development.
• Support researchers to balance the delivery of their research and their development.
• Identify opportunities and allow time for their researchers to develop.
• Provide appropriate credit and recognition for undertaking development activities.

As researchers you should…

• Take ownership of your career and development, identifying opportunities for personal and professional development and working towards career goals.

 

The Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF)

Vitae's Researcher Development Framework (RDF) describes the knowledge, behaviour and attributes of successful researchers. The RDF has been refreshed for 2025 and beyond, reflecting the latest thinking on research careers and recognising connections with initiatives to support research culture. For researchers, it is a tool designed to help you take control of your own professional and career development.

 

Our Huddersfield development themes

Our five core themes provide a broad overall framework for planning researcher development provision at Huddersfield:

• Your research practice 
• Your research identity 
• Your research career 
• Your research leadership 
• Your research impact 

Our activities throughout the year to support these development themes are also mapped against the Vitae RDF.

 

Our framework for Huddersfield Researchers 

We use five core development themes to provide a simple framework for our researcher development provision here at Huddersfield:

• Your research practice - this theme is about how you work and carry out your role as an academic researcher, including key aspects of research management (e.g. funding, open research, research integrity).
• Your research identity - this theme is about how you develop and maintain your individual research identity (including your Pure profile).
• Your research career - this theme is about how you plan, manage, progress and develop in your career as a researcher.
• Your research leadership - this theme is about how you lead your research/research teams and enhancing your skills and development as a research leader.
• Your research impact - this theme is about how you develop, communicate and increase the impact of your research, share knowledge and engage with wider audiences (including the public and businesses).

The opportunities for researcher development available through RIKE will support one or more of these overall themes, with activities also mapped against the Vitae RDF.

 

Wraparound development support and opportunities:

Our core themes are enhanced by a range of wraparound development support and opportunities, focusing on the researcher. These include coaching & mentoring, reflective practice, building networks and connections and promoting wellbeing. 

This is about supporting our Huddersfield Researchers as individuals, developing personal and professional values and behaviours increasing self-awareness and self-confidence and building a positive and inclusive research culture. These activities to support our researchers are intended to complement all five core development themes. 

Your research practice

This theme is about how you work and carry out your role as an academic researcher. It includes support for writing and publication and key aspects of research management (e.g. funding, open research, research integrity). 

To support your development around this theme you could:

• Build on your knowledge of different research methods, techniques and approaches.
• Review the university’s policies and procedures relating to research and enterprise.
• Attend one of the range of workshops offered through RIKE (use the drop-down menu on our main Training & Development page to book the latest courses).
• Complete our Trusted Research online learning modules - Introduction (mandatory) and Advanced - available via LearnUpon. 
• Complete the 'Introduction to Research Integrity' online training from the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO).
• Check out UKRIO’s webinar series on research integrity and related issues (register for new webinars and watch past ones). Topics include Trusted Research, ethics and open research.
• Set yourself a writing goal for Academic Writing Month (or at any other time!)
• Explore some of the resources below...

 

Research practice resource bank:

Funding and finance

• Guidance on academic research funding and developing a research proposal (Vitae).
• The Good Application Guide (Innovate UK).
• Research in Academic Careers – no grant too small... (jobs.ac.uk).
• Developing Big Bids Toolkit: for researchers on their journey toward submitting their first big bid, as well as those with prior experience who want to hone their knowledge and skills (UKRI Future Leaders Fellows Development Network).

Writing and publishing

• Writing Skills: elearning resources for ECRs (Elsevier Writing Academy).
• What is open access? (a Times Higher Education podcast).
• Think. Check. Submit. – a tool to help researchers identify trusted publishers.

Digital and technological

• Digital Skills and Training Hub

Your research identity

This theme is about how you develop and maintain your individual research identity (including your Pure profile). It also includes understanding who you are as a researcher, telling your story through a Narrative CV, managing your wider online identity, and understanding the impact of predatory publishing.

To support your development around this theme you could:

• Reflect on your range of skills and experiences as a researcher. What do you bring? What have you achieved? What are your unique contributions?
• Spend some time reviewing and updating your Pure research profile.
• Consider the ‘Narrative CV’ approach as a way of capturing your wider contributions and start to build a template. Some funders will ask for information in this format, so it's useful to have something prepared that you can use as a starting point. You might find some of the resources below helpful here.
• Explore our research identity resource bank…

 

Research identity resource bank:

• Postdoc professional identity-making (Prosper)
• Making your online identity count: online tutorials (open access from Cardiff University)
• LinkedIn for Academics and Researchers (LinkedIn article)
• Digital identity health check for academics (jobs.ac.uk)
• Predatory Journals and Publishers (UKRIO) - resources to educate researchers and help prevent mistakenly publishing in untrustworthy journals, compromising reputation and identity.

Narrative CVs

• Narrative CVs: the background and tips for getting started (open access from University of Dundee)
• A short online course for researchers creating a Narrative CV (open access from the University of Glasgow
• Creating your Resume for Researchers or Narrative CV (open access from University of Leeds)
• Narrative CVs in Research: Showcasing the Value of Every Contribution (a University of Leeds 'Research Culture Uncovered' podcast episode).

Your research career

This theme is about planning, managing and developing in your career as a researcher. It includes career development planning, exploring different research career options, preparing for promotion etc.

To support your development around this theme you could:

• Use Prosper’s Career Development Navigator (aimed at postdocs/ECRs) to find resources to help you reflect, explore and act.
• Explore the role of a Principal Investigator (PI) as the next step in your research career.
• Identify transferable skills for a breadth of research career paths – in academia and beyond.
• Explore our research career resource bank…

 

Research career resource bank:

• Career development resources for post docs: resource collection (Prosper)
• 7 Habits of Successful Early Career Researchers (jobs.ac.uk)
• Pursuing an academic career (Prosper)
• Careers in academia and Careers beyond academia (Vitae)
• Research career stories : insight and inspiration from personal narratives (Vitae)
• Careers in Your Ears: a podcast (King’s College, London)
• How to build a personal board for your career: podcast and podsheet (Amazing If)
• Showcasing careers beyond academia: collected profiles from researchers pursuing careers beyond academia (Research Careers)

Your research leadership

This theme is about your development as a research leader and managing other researchers. It includes leading a research team, managing and developing researchers, strategic research leadership etc.

To support your development around this theme you could:

• Reflect on your performance against the university’s Huddersfield Leader Framework.
• Access the university’s Learn Upon Management and Leadership E-Learning Suite
• Use Prosper’s resources for managers of researchers to support you with developing postdocs/ECRs.
• Join Prosper’s PI Network and attend a development event.
• Explore our research leadership resource bank…

 

Research leadership resource bank:

• Huddersfield Leader Framework: core competencies and behaviours for all our leaders.
• Resources for Managers of Researchers: resource collection (Prosper).
• Leadership resources - what makes a great leader, leadership skills and styles (Prosper).
• Doing research - research leadership and Leadership for Principal Investigators (PIs) (Vitae).
• Influencing Toolkit: designed to help new or emerging research leaders think about how to grow their influence (UKRI Future Leaders Fellows Development Network).
• UK Research Landscape Toolkit: aims to support research leaders navigate the UK’s complex and fast-changing research environment (UKRI Future Leaders Fellows Development Network).

 

Your research impact

This theme is about understanding and widening the impact of your research. It includes exploring impact, communication and dissemination, knowledge exchange, public engagement etc.

To support your development around this theme you could:

• Complete Fast Track Impact’s online Impact training for researchers (register to complete over 5 weeks).
• Sign up to attend our new impact training programme (4 sessions available): 'Introduction to impact', 'Pathways to impact', 'Evidence and data gathering' and ‘Writing an impactful narrative’
• Explore the Top 5 impact submissions by UoA (REF2021).
• Join the university’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Community of Practice - email ktp@hud.ac.uk
• Explore our research impact resource bank…

 

You can also contact one of the RIKE Impact Officers for further information and support.

 

Research impact resource bank:

• Impact tools and templates: resource collection (Fast Track Impact).
• Fast Track Impact podcast: practical tips and discussion around enhancing the impact of your research.
• How to promote your research for greater impact: resource collection (Times Higher Education)
• LSE Impact Blog – a platform for understanding and increasing the impact of academic research.

Development provision and resources for our core themes are enhanced by a range of 'wraparound' support and opportunities, focusing on the researcher. These opportunities include coaching & mentoring, reflective practice, building networks and connections and promoting wellbeing.  

This is about supporting our Huddersfield Researchers as individuals, developing personal and professional values and behaviours, increasing self-awareness and self-confidence and building a positive and inclusive research culture. 

For example, you could:

• Join our online Researcher Connect network (Teams) to connect with peers and stay updated on what’s new for researcher development.
• Access mentoring from outside your School through our Early Career Researcher (ECR) mentoring programme - or, if you’re a more experienced researcher, offer your services as a mentor.
• Read our guide to Reflective practice for researchers and sign up for one of our monthly Reflections for Researchers sessions (online) to take some time out to reflect.
• Explore the university's Staff Wellbeing Hub to find wellbeing information, support and resources.
• Check out this UKRIO webinar on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Research Environment.
• Use the university’s LearnUpon (e-learning) packages to build understanding around wellbeing and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

For more information about any of the above opportunities or a conversation about development, please contact Alison Monkhouse (Academic Researcher Development Manager) at a.monkhouse@hud.ac.uk or via Teams.