Higher education institutions are doing a good job in supporting their research staff, according to national responses from the Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS) 2009, published by Vitae, the national organisation championing the personal, professional and career development of researchers.
The CROS survey found that most researchers feel valued, are satisfied with their work-life balance, have discussed career development with their manager or principal investigator and believe their employer is committed to equality and diversity.
'There has been marked improvement in the uptake of processes like induction, appraisal and training opportunities among research staff, compared with previous surveys, which demonstrates progress in achieving the aims of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers,' said Janet Metcalfe, Chair and Head of Vitae and co-author of the report.
Robin Mellors-Bourne, CRAC Research Director, who conducted the analysis, commented: 'It is heartening to see that half of the research staff claim to have a distinct career plan. Taking ownership of their career appears to be a significant motivating factor for researchers.'
The report encourages research staff to be realistic in their career aspirations: According to the survey results, over half hope for a career in a 'combined‘ role (teaching and research) in HE in the long-term, which is more than HEIs are likely to accommodate.
The results show that over 70% of the researchers took up training and development activities in their institution in the last year, double the proportion seen in CROS 2006. This reflects a sustained drive by government, national organisations and HEIs to improve the professional and career development support available to research staff in the UK. The report encourages even more research staff to take advantage of the wide range of opportunities available.
The Chair of the CROS Steering Group, Dr Andy Wilson said: ‘the CROS report provides enormously valuable insights into the experiences of researchers in UK universities. The real contribution of CROS, though, will come from institutions making comparisons with their own results and then both planning for improvements and sharing their good practice through Vitae.'
The Chair of the Concordat Strategy Group Sir Professor Ivor Crewe concluded: ‘the CROS findings will provide valuable information to those committed to the training and development of the next generation of researchers. Investment in researcher development ensures that our researchers are world-class and able to contribute fully to the UK economy, culture and society. The new Concordat launched in June 2008 is clearly beginning to have an impact.'
Notes to editors
For media queries and interviews contact Maija Sirola (Vitae/CRAC Communications Manager) tel. 01223 448510, mob. 07595 204228, email maija.sirola@vitae.ac.uk
For the full report titled ‘Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS) 2009: analysis of aggregated UK results' visit www.vitae.ac.uk/cros.
The CROS survey, conducted by higher education institutions (HEIs) in spring 2009, gathered the anonymous views of research staff about their experiences, employment, career development and aspirations. The 51 HEIs participating in CROS 2009 included 16 Russell Group institutions and 12 of the 1994 Group, and represent 74% of the estimated 38,000 total UK HE research staff population. The 5908 responses received equate to a 21% response rate from the target sample (and actually comprise about 1 in 6 of the total population).
Demographic information received compares well with known information about the UK research staff population in HE[i]. The high response rate and strong statistical confidence afforded by the large sample size further suggest that responses are representative of the researcher population. This report published by Vitae reports the aggregated responses to a core question-set common to the 51 parallel surveys[ii].
About Vitae www.vitae.ac.uk
Vitae is a national organisation championing the personal, professional and career development of postgraduate researchers and research staff in higher education institutions and research institutes. We play a major role in the drive for high-level skills and innovation and in the UK's goal to produce world class researchers. Our vision is for the UK to be world-class in supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers. Vitae is supported by Research Councils UK (RCUK), managed by CRAC: The Career Development Organisation and delivered in partnership with regional Hub host universities. www.vitae.ac.uk
About CRAC: The Career Development Organisation www.crac.org.uk
CRAC: The Career Development Organisation is an independent, charitable organisation with a core aim to promote and encourage career development and active career-related learning. CRAC manages a number of innovative programmes within education and skills development sector. www.crac.org.uk
- icould - inspiring young people through career stories www.icould.com
- Vitae - realising the potential of researchers www.vitae.ac.uk
About Research Councils UK (RCUK) www.rcuk.ac.uk
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research Councils, which invest annually around £3 billion in the UK research base, covering the full spectrum of academic disciplines. RCUK is committed to enhancing the quality and output of the UK research base through training the next generation of world-class researchers. Vitae is a key part of how the Research Councils seek to sustain and improve the contribution of researchers to the quantity, quality and impact of research, to the benefit of UK society and the economy. www.rcuk.ac.uk
[i] HESA (2009). Resources of Higher Education Institutions 2007/08.
[ii] Vitae (2009). Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS) 2009. Analysis of aggregated UK results