Research staff
Research staff are vital to research departments – read our guide to find out about undertaking a research staff position.
- Research staff roles
- Life after being in a research staff position
What do research staff do?
Research staff are the key foundations to a successful research department.
They advance important research – however these roles can be competitive to attain and precarious.
Research staff roles
How do I find a role as research staff?
Research staff are generally employed either on research grants or on personal fellowships.
Finding a research staff position funded by a project grant
This tends to be the first step in transitioning from a graduate (first or doctoral degree) to research staff. It will involve searching for positions advertised by group leaders (also known as principal investigators, PIs). Sources of such jobs are outlined in the page Careers in academia – academic jobs.
Finding a personal fellowship or group leader ‘starter’ grant
- A position as a research fellow is prestigious and highly competitive
- It usually requires applicants to have at least two years’ of research experience after completing a doctorate
- Personal fellowships are especially relevant for researchers in the social sciences, arts and humanities, where research grants with a large number of funded research staff are not as common.
- Many higher education institutions provide help with applying for fellowships – contact your institution’s research support (or equivalent) office to find out about this.
These sources may be a useful starting point in finding individual fellowships:
- European Research Council
- learned societies
- charities and charitable trusts
- universities or, in the case of collegiate universities, the colleges.
Research staff probation period
- As for other employees, research staff working in higher education usually start a new post with a probationary period.
- Probation is a fixed period at the start of your employment when you can expect to receive special support from your employer (the university) and your line manager.
- The length of a probationary period can vary a lot according to the length of your contract of employment. For example, if you are on an open, ongoing contract it may be two or more years. If you are on a fixed-term contract, the probationary period is likely to be shorter.
What is the purpose of a probationary period?
- To introduce you to the new post.
- Your workload may be lighter to give you time to explore your role, build your experience and help you settle in.
- You may be expected to attend a range of training courses
- To allow you and your employer to confirm your suitability for the post. You will usually have regular formal ‘review’ meetings with your line manager, useful for raising any difficulties and getting support if needed.
Further information about probationary periods for research staff roles:
- Before starting a new post, make yourself familiar with the probationary conditions specific to your post and contact your personnel department if you are unsure of anything.
- During probation, staff will usually have a written set of objectives to help measure progress. These may form part of your ongoing professional development review.
- New staff are often assigned a mentor, usually a more experienced member of staff. Your mentor should meet with you during your probationary period to identify any support that you may need.
- Officially you will not be ‘confirmed in post’ until the end of your probationary period. If any difficulties have arisen, your employer may extend the probationary period so that you can deal with these together. A well-run probation scheme will identify issues and provide the support and training that may be needed to help you through them.
- In the UK employees on probation enjoy the same legal rights as other employees. Formal dismissal procedures must be followed, and you cannot be summarily dismissed for failing probation.
Managing your first research staff position
In the beginning focus on:
- Departmental procedures: find out how these work, even if you did your doctorate in the same place.
- Employment terms and conditions: understand your contractual rights and responsibilities.
- Relationship with your principal investigator (line manager): establish a good working relationship from the first day onwards. Agree how you will work together.
- Project outline: understand what is expected of you and what specific deliverables you should work towards.
- Beyond the project: understand what is expected of you beyond the research itself.
- Who is who: find out who to contact with any concerns.
Core competencies to focus on from the start:
- Project planning: spend time familiarising yourself with the literature and planning the research project before beginning any new work.
- Information and data management: establish good ways of keeping records in the early stages.
- Research ethics: check whether you will need to apply for ethical approval; particularly relevant for those working with human subjects or tissues, animals, or confidential personal data.
- Working with others: it is crucial to establish a good working relationship with your direct line manager as well as other members of your group or team and any collaborators.
- Building networks: Effective networking will maximise your opportunities to share knowledge, ideas and opinions. It will benefit your research and may open doors for future career opportunities.
- Work-life balance: don’t forget to work on your social life and building a support network.
As you become more established:
- Present your research: find opportunities to present your results, within and beyond your institution.
- Publishing: as research staff become more independent, it’s important to learn about appropriate journals to publish in, decide which parts of research to publish and become aware of issues such as citation factors. Take opportunities to be involved in peer review and write review articles.
- Intellectual property (IP): consider inventions, designs, concepts and other original creations resulting directly from your research. Be informed of IP rights and their implications.
- Public engagement: researchers funded by public money are increasingly expected to engage the general public in their work.
- Leadership development: consider leadership development courses to help make the most of your strengths and realise your potential as a leader.
- Self-reflection: make time to review your competencies and performance as a researcher. What can you do to be a better researcher?
- Supervising others: it is common to be involved in the supervision of others, e.g. undergraduate and masters’ students, doctoral researchers, visiting researchers. Learn how to manage others well.
Life after being in a research staff position
The majority of researchers will not carve out a whole career as a member of research staff. In many countries, research staff or postdoc positions are predominately fixed term contracts and few institutions have research career tracks.
This is why it’s imperative for research staff to assess their options and look to alternative, and often just as rewarding, careers.
What other roles can research staff do in academia?
- Independent group leaders
- Employed in research and lecturing/teaching positions
- Move into non-academic posts within higher education, including administrative and staff development roles.
What roles can research staff do outside of academia?
See our careers beyond academia page for more information on transitioning to roles beyond academia.
Things to takeaway
- Research staff are generally employed either on research grants or on personal fellowships.
- A position as a research fellow is prestigious and highly competitive; it usually requires applicants to have at least two years’ of research experience after completing a doctorate.
- As for other employees, research staff working in higher education usually start a new post with a probationary period.
- Self-reflection is key – make time to review your competencies and performance as a researcher. What can you do to be a better researcher?
- In many countries, research staff or postdoc positions are predominately fixed term contracts and few institutions have research career tracks.
- This is why it’s imperative for research staff to assess their options and look to alternative, and often just as rewarding, careers.