Researcher Representation

How connected do you feel to the mesh of organisational structures and processes within the University? For many, I imagine answers may lie somewhere between 'barely' and 'I couldn't even tell you what they are!'. Yet decisions made in higher level committees within the Medical Science Division and wider University can and do impact our working culture and environment, career development opportunities, and the overall research experience.

Researchers and others on fixed term contracts clearly make key contributions to research output from Oxford. While our voices may not previously have been prominent, even in decisions of direct consequence, the scope for researcher representation in higher decision-making processes has grown in recent years.

Researchers in the gap!

The Medical Sciences Division, like each University division, now has a Research Staff Forum that brings together representatives from their constituent departments. The MSD Research Staff Forum is chaired by RDM's Leanne Hodson, who is also MSD Divisional Advocate for Research Staff. Kshitij Mohan and I act as RDM's Research Staff Representatives alongside Tom Milne, Advocate for Research Staff. Kshitij and I are additionally Early-to-Mid Career Researcher Representatives on the MSD Board, providing a direct link for researchers to the main Committee overseeing the Division.

Very nice, but so what? Well, the idea is that such representation both facilitates a voice for researcher communities upwards into higher decision-making bodies, but also streamlines delivery of initiatives the other way into departments for more effective implementation.

Moreover, gathering researchers from different departments – which are by no means run identically – enables sharing of good practice in supporting training and development, and promoting healthy research culture. In RDM, we are linking these channels to the Career Development Committee in particular. In this way, initiatives will be rolled out in practice in the manner most appropriate for our specific context.

Impacts in practice

As examples of this working, members of the MSD Research Staff Forum were heavily involved in writing last year's report on Pay and Conditions. This led to upward adjustment of pay scales and introduction of an Oxford weighting, with broader changes promised too.

Research Staff Representatives had significant input in drawing up the Researcher Hub's Researcher's Trailmap, which directs researchers towards varied career-related opportunities available in Oxford.

Importantly, we have been invited to give input and insights into developing an updated Concordat Action Plan for 2025-2030. The University signed up to the Concordat for Researchers in 2021. This commits the University to prioritise research environment and employment conditions, training opportunities (including 10 days of professional development per year – are you taking up that entitlement?) and career development support, as researchers themselves contribute to undertaking world-leading research. There is clearly some way to go in achieving all of this, but the new Action Plan being developed for the next five years will build and develop this. Watch this space!

Have your say

In the meantime, if you have ideas, initiatives, or issues that would benefit from discussion, especially at levels beyond the Department, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me, Kshitij or Tom! My contention remains that a positive, collaborative and supportive research environment is not only more enjoyable to work in, but is also conducive to efficient and effective research, and for preparing researchers in whatever career steps they choose to take!