THIS MONTH:
• Post-16 Education and Skills Report
• Sign up to January events: EURAXESS webinar and Embedding the Vitae RDF
• New insights into research culture in Northern Ireland
• Vitae Generative AI workshops – learn more
Sector News
Reforming England’s Post-16 education and skills system
The UK Government’s Post-16 Education and Skills Report (October 2025) sets out plans to reshape post-16 education and training in England, aligning it more closely with national priorities for growth, technology and productivity. Key measures include the creation of Skills England to coordinate workforce planning, a new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) offering flexible loan funding for modular and full qualifications at levels 4 to 6, and a £500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund to strengthen regional research and innovation. The government has also committed £1.2 billion in additional funding for Further Education in England by 2028–29.
These reforms will shape how universities and research organisations plan for future skills and support people as they build their careers in research and innovation. Vitae sees this as an important moment to put people and skills at the centre of how the UK develops its research system. The post-16 reforms are a chance to recognise the role of research in the UK’s skills agenda and to make learning and development a consistent part of every research career. Bringing research, education and skills policy together will be key to building the talent and culture that keeps UK research and innovation strong. For more on the Post-16 Education and Skills Report and Vitae’s response, we will be sending a special edition message to Vitae members soon this November.
New insights into research culture in Northern Ireland
Vitae is proud to have delivered a new report for Research Culture Northern Ireland (RCNI), Exploring research culture across Northern Ireland, the first system-wide review of its kind.
Drawing on surveys, interviews, focus groups and desk research, the study examines how people experience research culture across higher education, government, industry and the voluntary sector. It reveals a connected, collaborative and talented community, while identifying opportunities to build a more open, sustainable and inclusive environment for research and innovation. As Northern Ireland shapes its new R&I strategy, the findings offer timely evidence to inform policy, strengthen partnerships and invest in research talent.
Read the full report and read more on Wonkhe.
Research Culture in Northern Ireland
Creating a common and visible national clinical research career pathway (Phase One)
An article in CATCH (Clinical Academic Training and Careers Hub) outlines how UK funders have launched phase one of a new national framework to support clinical researchers at every career stage.
The framework of support comes in response to the alarming rate in decline of clinical academics, created partially by uncertainty in career pathways. The framework will provide clarity on career phases, funding principles and funding opportunities for clinical researchers.
Attend online the meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Skills, Careers and Employment (APGSCE)
Register to attend online the meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Skills, Careers and Employment (APGSCE), held in partnership with the Career Development Policy Group and Policy Connect.
Chaired by Darren Paffey PM, the meeting will take place on Tuesday 25 November 2025 14:00-16:00 GMT in Committee Room G, House of Lords. The session will explore how current commitments and reforms can be used to enhance careers support for young people and adults.
Register to attend the meeting online
Vitae Evidence and Research
Vitae Survey: Understanding how institutions evaluate researcher development
Vitae is inviting institutions to take part in a new survey focused on how researcher development activities are assessed and evidenced. This initiative aims to gather insights into current evaluation practices, the types of evidence being collected, and the challenges institutions encounter when demonstrating the impact and strategic value of researcher development.
Participating in the survey offers a valuable opportunity to showcase your institution’s approach to supporting professional and career development, share the evidence you prioritise, and reflect on the barriers to effectively capturing and communicating impact.
Last chance to complete – the survey closes Sunday 16 November 2025
Vitae Evidence and Evaluation Survey
Vitae Events
Explore Vitae’s Annual Programme events and activities for members during 2025-2026
Register your interest now to receive updates for Vitae’s Annual Programme 2025-2026.
There are three main themes this year to support researcher development:
• Connect and Create – a chance for participants to co-develop solutions
• Evidence and Insight – through evidence-led approaches we can better understand and support researcher careers
• Policy and Practice – driving positive change through leadership, collaboration and collective responsibility.
Upcoming events from the annual programme include:
Event: Using CEDARS insights to drive change
Vitae members can register now for the upcoming event focusing on how findings from the recent CEDARS (Culture, Employment, and Development of Academic Researchers Survey) will shape the next Research Culture Landscape Survey. The event will also explore how these results can inform institutional and policy decisions
and be used to support real change.
Sign up now before the event takes place on: Wednesday 19 November 10:00-12:00 (GMT) 2025.
Register for Using CEDARS insights to drive change
EURAXESS webinar – Horizon Europe focused event
Join us for an open-access EURAXESS webinar on Wednesday 14 January 2026, from 13:30 to 15:00 GMT.
This session will provide an overview of how EURAXESS supports researcher mobility, career development, and international collaboration. Attendees will have the opportunity to:
• Connect with researchers, institutional representatives, and EURAXESS experts
• Explore tools and resources for various stages of the research journey
• Learn about funding opportunities, job listings, and mobility support
Sign up to the EURAXESS webinar
Vitae members only: Embedding the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF)
Taking place: Thursday 29 January 2026, 10:00–12:00 GMT, online.
Discover the refreshed Vitae RDF 2025, a bold articulation of the values, knowledge, and behaviours that define today’s researchers, ready to work across sectors and meet society’s future needs.
This interactive session will explore how the RDF can be a strategic tool for driving researcher development and aligning with evolving institutional and sector priorities. You will hear how institutions are embedding the framework into practice and engaging senior stakeholders to influence strategy and shape support for researchers.
Sign up to the Embedding the Vitae RDF event
View Annual Programme 25-26 recordings
Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) 2025 – have you heard the winners yet?
The winners are:
Judges’ Choice – Cesar Portillo, University of West London, ‘Virtual Reality for the Visually Impaired.’
Editor’s Choice – Yuxuan Wu, University of Birmingham, ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Work – an example from medical imaging.’
The People’s Choice – Abubakar Yunusa, Robert Gordon University, ‘Hydrogen in Our Pipes: Fuelling the Future Without Blowing It Up.’
Thank you to all who watched and voted at the beginning of October, and to our sponsor UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and our supporters The Conversation UK and The Brilliant Club.
Register your interest now for next year’s competition in 2026, by signing up to this form to receive updates about Vitae 3MT®.
Full information – Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) 2025
Vitae Updates
Vitae Generative AI workshops
Vitae is planning two interlinked online workshops in Spring (March 2026) on generative AI.
Generative AI across the research lifecycle workshop
Provides practical insights, and will equip you with the knowledge and tools to lead the way in supporting researchers with responsible, creative, and strategic AI integration.
Discover how:
• Generative AI can be utilised in every phase of research;
• To assess the strengths and limitations of AI tools in research contexts;
• To grow confidence in supporting researchers in alignment with institutional policies and practices.
Leverage your practice with generative AI workshop
How will AI impact the future of researcher development?
This session dives into how and why to use AI, from enhancing creativity and efficiency, to making an impact with your work. This session meets you where you are on your AI journey and is designed to spark innovation.
We will be releasing details of how to book your place in the next few weeks, with a discount for booking both workshops. If you would like to be added to our mailing list to be kept up to date on this offering, email: learning.development@vitae.ac.uk
Do you support researchers? Become an organisational member of Vitae
Benefits of membership include access for your organisation to a comprehensive range of resources, discounts on events, and member only activities, as well as being part of a connected network committed to supporting researchers and those who support them.
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