Staff Experience Survey

The University’s Pay and Conditions Review resulted in a package of measures to improve pay and non-pay benefits, including the introduction of the Oxford University Weighting of £1,500 a year (pro rata).

• An Oxford University weighting payment of £1,500 per year (pro-rata) for staff in Grades 1-10
• Amendments to grades 1-3
• The Associate Professor grade being uplifted by an increment
• Extending the researcher pay scale in Grades 6-10
• Enhancing Recognition payments
• The provision of free mental health training
• Reimbursement of some immigration fees for international staff

This year, the RDM Reward and Recognition Panel was pleased to make over 52 awards, including two team awards as part of the University’s Awards for Excellence Scheme and year-round Recognition Scheme, an increase on last year’s 41 awards.

The University's current Academic Career and Reward Framework project has a workstream related to improving academic reward and recognition, and creating a reward system that is clearly aligned to career pathways. Do take part when invited.

In 2024, we commissioned a bespoke RDM Leadership Programme, which provides support, guidance, and resources to empower individuals working in RDM to become better leaders.

We formed the RDM Academic Career Panel to improve transparency and consistency of decision-making for a number of career development-related processes. The ACP is responsible for assessing and making recommendations to RDM's Senior Leadership Team on career progression opportunities for early, mid and senior career academics, which includes reviewing applications to RDM Principal Investigator status, providing recommendations to the Medical Sciences Division for Associate Professor titles, and reviewing Fellowship applications. The panel also conducts mid-point fellowship reviews.

In November 2024 RDM relaunched the Career Development Committee (CDC), particularly focusing on recruitment of members from a range of staff groups across the Department. The CDC plays a key role in raising awareness of career opportunities across the Department, in providing training and support at key career transitions, and championing career development. The Committee will be working together with Charter Leads to consider how the Charter for Researchers can be implemented in RDM

RDM recruited two new Research Staff Representatives who provide vital links between research staff and departmental and divisional groups.

RDM has devised a new Intermediate Fellowship Framework to bring consistency and transparency to this process and support talented researchers to maximise their potential.

RDM's Communications Team is responsible for communications both within and outside of the Department and can help make sure people are informed about what's going on. This year the team has been conducting an internal communications review of RDM's existing channels of communication, including the Weekly Bulletin, RDM's social media channels and Departmental events. The review will help the team understand how best to ensure that RDM communications give people the information they need to do their job well, instil a sense of pride about working in RDM, and make improvements where necessary.

In an effort to provide local points of contact and arrange divisional events for matters relating to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, we have nominated Divisional EDI Champions. Our Champions meet regularly to share ideas and best practice. They also join the RDM EDI Committee to report on what is happening within their respective divisions.

The University-wide Academic Career and Reward Framework project's dedicated workstream on academic workload aims to achieve a better balance of activities for academics, promote and encourage departments to engage with workload models, and enable appropriate reward and recognition across that balance of activities.

The University invested in an Employee Assistance Programme which allows staff to access support and benefits like counselling and legal support.

The Thriving at Oxford programme delivered a wellbeing week with a multitude of events. Survey data related to wellbeing, including mental health, provided insight that shaped the Thriving at Oxford Action Plan 2024/25 and is being used in the development of the new Work-related stress policy, which will play an important part in how we tackle workload and other causes of work-related stress

RDM has held the Head of Department Q&A event once a term, which allows staff to hear from Professor Keith Channon about developments affecting the Department. Based on further feedback, we are also looking at how we can get more senior people involved in these types of events.

You can now hear about developments from different RDM committees and RDM's senior decision makers via the RDM Blog. Keep a look out in the RDM Weekly Bulletin.

In the Medical Sciences Division, work is underway to ensure chairs, secretaries and others have support and guidelines to make meetings accessible, transparent and equitable.

MSD Board membership, which includes RDM's researcher staff representatives, has also been reformatted to ensure better staff and student representation.

We have been supporting staff to apply for the Returning Carers Fund which supports those who have taken a break for caring responsibilities, to re-establish their careers. In 2023 & 2024 seven individuals applied and were successful.

In addition, the Medical Sciences Division has put in place a 'priority lane' for those who apply to the MSD Bridging Salary Scheme who have also taken a period of any type of leave for caring responsibilities where they have been away from work for at least six calendar months.

The Medical Sciences Division piloted the Mediation Service this year, which will be rolled out across the Division from early next year. Two RDM people have been trained to facilitate mediation in other departments.

The Medical Sciences Division delivered neurodivergence awareness training to the HR community as a first step at making our departments more neuro-inclusive.