THIS MONTH:
- Vitae Evidence and Evaluation in Researcher Development Survey
- Launch of benchmarking report – CRAC Vitae and Research Consulting
- Vote now for your favourite finalist for the Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition!
Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) 2025 – find out about our six finalists
The six finalists for Vitae 3MT® Competition 2025 have presented their Three Minute Theses yesterday in the competition final. You have until Friday 3 October 2025 10am (GMT+1) to vote for your favourite in the People’s Choice Award.
A reminder of our finalists and their presentations:
- Miranda (Qianyu) Wang, Durham University, ‘Can Your Thoughts Be Used Against You? Mind-Reading Neurotechnology in Criminal Justice.’
- Abubakar Yunusa, Robert Gordon University, ‘Hydrogen in Our Pipes: Fuelling the Future Without Blowing It Up.’
- Caitlin Campbell, Ulster University, ‘Beyond the Blur: Is this glaucoma or myopia?’
- Yuxuan Wu, University of Birmingham, ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Work – an example from medical imaging.’
- Vic Pickup, University of Reading, ‘Sorry not sorry: The invisible women behind Mills & Boon.’
- Cesar Portillo, University of West London, ‘Virtual Reality for the Visually Impaired.’
Read a blog post by supporters of the competition, The Conversation, to learn more about the six finalists.
Vote now for your People’s Choice and don’t forget to watch the announcement of the winners for the People’s Choice, Judges’ Choice and Editor’s Choice Awards, on Friday 3 October at 12pm (GMT+1).
Full information – Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) 2025
Vitae Updates
Vitae Survey: Evaluation and Evidence in Researcher Development
As financial pressures grow and the need for evidence-based decision making increases, showcasing the value of researcher development has never been more important.
Vitae is inviting institutions to take part in a survey focused on how researcher development activities are evaluated and evidenced. The survey aims to gather insights into current practices, the types of evidence collected, and the challenges institutions face in demonstrating the impact and strategic value of this work.
This survey offers a valuable opportunity to share how your institution approaches professional and career development, what kinds of evidence you prioritise, and the obstacles you encounter in capturing and communicating its impact.
Deadline to complete the survey: Friday 7 November 2025
Evaluation and Evidence in Researcher Development Survey
Building researcher capability: benchmarking report from CRAC Vitae and Research Consulting
How do institutions and policymakers build researcher capability?
Research Consulting and CRAC Vitae have conducted a baseline study of researcher development in 14 UK and Australian universities. The study examined challenges faced by these institutions, as well as their strategies, structure, resourcing, delivery, and evaluation, to provide insights. Launched at #VitaeCon2025, the study delivers a baseline for future dialogue on researcher development activities across diverse institutions.
Learn more and read the full report
Vitae Peer Mentoring Circles 2025-2026 registration
Following a highly successful pilot year, the Vitae Peer Mentoring Circles scheme is back for 2025–2026, open to researcher developers across Vitae member institutions.
Participants will be placed into small, supportive mentoring circles designed to foster reflective practice, shared learning, and meaningful professional connections.
What’s new for 2025–2026?
- A refreshed induction and onboarding experience
- Continued use of the popular Action Learning Set format
- Flexibility to reconnect with your previous circle or form a new one.
Registration closes tomorrow Friday 3 October 2025.
Secure your place and explore full details on the Vitae website.
Register – Peer Mentoring Scheme 2025-2026
Is research culture really too hard to assess?
Yolana Pringle, Deputy CEO and Director of Programmes and Partnerships at CRAC-Vitae, and Ben Tatler, Dean for Research Culture and a Professor of Psychology at the University of Aberdeen, have recently written an article for Wonkhe to make the case that the REF pause is an opportunity to build on sector-wide collaboration on research environments.
The authors argue that assessing research culture is vital to sustaining research excellence, as thriving, well-supported researchers are key outcomes of the research system. They describe the PCE Indicators Project and the REF PCE Pilot, maintaining that culture is an outcome and that upholding a good research environment should be incentivised and rewarded. The progress made should not be lost in the face of the pause.
Wonkhe article – Is research culture really too hard to assess?
Vitae Events
The in-person element of #VitaeCon2025 – connection and community
Thank you to all who came to We The Curious in Bristol for the in-person element of #VitaeCon2025 on Monday 22 – Tuesday 23 September. The conference explored various themes, of inclusion and belonging, safe spaces and researcher identity, engaged and responsible researchers, and evaluating impact.
Congratulations to the winners of the Vitae ICE Awards 2025!
At the Gala dinner of Day 1 of the in-person element of #VitaeCon2025, we celebrated the outstanding work of the researcher development sector by awarding four winners of the Vitae Impact, Culture and Engagement (ICE) Awards.
Our winners and their categories were:
Newcomer of the Year Award – Dr Thomas Webb, Researcher Developer (PGR), Coventry University
Outstanding Contribution Award – Dr Cosimo Inserra, Reader, Associate Professor, Cardiff University
Innovative and Inclusive Practice Award – Dr Leigh Wilson, Public Engagement Manager at The Centre for Developmental Neurobiology (CDN), King’s College, London
Research Culture Impact Through Researcher Development Award – Dr Deborah Husbands, Reader (Associate Professor) in Race and Sociocultural Psychology, University of Westminster, and Kate Theophilus, Research Development Manager, University of Westminster.
With many thanks to the sponsors of the Vitae ICE Awards: Wellcome, UKRI, The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network, and Electv.
Sector News
Understanding leadership in geoscience
The University of Liverpool is conducting a survey to identify the barriers to leadership for women and non-binary geoscientists.
The survey will gather the experiences in leadership of those working in geoscience, and what has supported or hindered them. You do not have to be a woman or non-binary to participate, and the survey is open to industry and academic professionals in geoscience; you must be over 18 and live in the UK.
By participating, the data you provide will be used to inform recommendations for leadership skills training and resources for women and non-binary geoscientists.
Survey – understanding leadership in geoscience
Have you visited our award-winning website?
Vitae are delighted that our updated website, re-designed by Granite 5, has won an award in the 16th Annual Web Excellence Awards, in the Education category for Redefining Researcher Support.
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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