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RDF 2025 Planner Guidance – Useful links for organisational administrators

Guidance for organisational administrators RDF 2025

RDF 2025 Planner Administrator User Guide

Guidance for organisational administrators RDF 2010

RDF 2010 Planner Administrator User Guide

Video help guides

 

How to get the best from the RDF Planner for your researchers

Evidence from our evaluation shows that researchers value face-to-face activities, one-on-one meetings, induction events, RDF workshops, training sessions incorporating the RDF and RDF Planner, lunchtime sessions, departmental contacts, and specifically targeted cohort groups.

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Successful introduction

  • Hold an event or workshop to launch the RDF Planner to ensure maximum engagement. Invite PIs, supervisors and research managers as well as researchers – their awareness and support can be influential on researcher behaviour. Included in your Planner package are a number of resources and activities for a launch event that you can use
  • Ensure your organisation’s resources and courses are added to the RDF Planner before the launch if possible so you can demonstrate where they can be found
  • Promote the Planner through online and other communications channels as a new opportunity and new resource available
  • Highlight the Planner’s flexibility for researchers to use however they want to
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Maintaining engagement

  • Provide regular informal contact opportunities, for example bulletins, buddy groups, meetings
  • Emphasise the notion of ‘dipping in’ regularly rather than working with the RDF in its entirety
  • Demonstrate quick ways to add evidence whilst on the move and how the Planner can be used as a storage area
  • Ensure your organisational resources continue to be added to the Planner, and circulate updates
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Tips for promoting the RDF Planner more widely

  • Get senior management buy-in to provide visible high level support
  • Evaluate usage regularly and make use of data for further planning
  • Link the Planner with another requirement, e.g. preparation for review meetings
  • Use personal relationships and networks to promote the Planner face-to-face
  • Introduce the Planner to supervisors and research leaders