Vitae International Researcher Development Conference 2025 – call for community content now open

Rethinking ‘the researcher’: personal and professional values in focus

The Vitae Researcher Development Framework 2025 places the researcher at the heart of the development framework, emphasising that professional development starts with the researcher themselves. To coincide with the full launch of the Vitae RDF 2025, the online conference takes the nine key personal and professional values and behaviours identified as central to the Vitae RDF 2025 as its focus.

We invite submissions from the researcher development community that are inspired by one or more of these values and behaviours. We encourage those submitting proposals to think creatively and broadly about the themes.

Submissions might:

• Share practice or research aimed at helping researchers develop and build on these values.
• Present innovative approaches to embedding these values and behaviours within professional development programmes.
• Explore and facilitate discussions about the relationship between these values and the wider research landscape and systems (e.g., research culture, research assessment).
• Challenge or expand how these values and behaviours might be understood, approached, or experienced by different groups involved in research.
• Demonstrate or embed a value within the session format itself.

The nine values and behaviours are:

1. Development-focused: Takes ownership of professional development, acquiring and strengthening skills, and engaging in experiences across a range of chosen sectors to enhance employability.
2. Strategic: Considers the contexts and landscapes in which research operates, developing strategic direction accordingly.
3. Organised: Sets clear goals and objectives, plans and prioritises, conducts activities proactively and to time.
4. Curious: Takes an inquiring, open, and imaginative approach.
5. Collaborative: Actively engages with others to design, create and advance research and/or outcomes that can address complex issues and maximise impact.
6. Adaptable: Is open, agile, and responsive to new ideas, ways of working, opportunities and solutions.
7. Reflexive: Continuously examines own position, assumptions, motives and biases and how these influence approach.
8. Motivated: Is a motivated, independent thinker, who is determined and committed to research.
9. Responsible: Demonstrates responsible research practice, taking into account effects and potential impacts on participants, beneficiaries, society and the environment.

Session formats

Proposals should be specifically designed for online delivery, carefully considering the experience of online participants.

Submissions can either be for:

1. Live online sessions – these can be 30 or 60 minutes in duration. Examples include interactive workshops, facilitated discussions, or presentations with open Q&A. Online sessions will primarily take place in a parallel format during the online element of the conference, to be delivered on Wednesday 10 or Thursday 11 September. If your proposal is successful, the date and time of your session will be confirmed with you prior to the event.
2. Multimedia content – this will be made available for participants to access on-demand online via the conference platform. This is a great way to share work that might take the form of a short video, recorded presentation, document or other online format.

Submit a proposal for an online session by Friday 2 May 2025

Submit a proposal for a piece of Multimedia content by Friday 2 May 2025

Reimagining research careers: navigating changing landscapes

In-person – 22 and 23 September, We the Curious, Bristol

Significant progress has been made in researcher development and research culture globally, driven by a committed international community dedicated to seizing opportunities for positive change for researchers and institutions across diverse contexts.

The research ecosystem faces significant collective challenges that impact our ability to maintain momentum in ensuring that careers in research—across all sectors—are open, rewarding, and inclusive.

Our global strategy for 2025-2030 outlines three priorities to support the international research community in overcoming these challenges and maximising opportunities for positive change. We invite submissions for community content that explores these three areas of focus through the following themes:

Understanding the global landscape of careers in research:

This theme focuses on understanding the diverse career paths within the research landscape, and how this informs decision-making at all levels. Submissions might focus on:

• The evidence base on career pathways within research
• Understanding evolving job markets, across sectors and internationally
  Identifying opportunities for career progression within and beyond academia
• Examples of effective practice for exploring different careers in research
• Cross-cultural perspectives on career progression

Making professional and career development relevant, meaningful and sustainable:

This theme emphasises the importance of ensuring that professional and career development activities are not only relevant and meaningful to researchers but also sustainable in the long term. Proposals could:

• Showcase innovative approaches to career development
• Explore topics related to developing the competencies and skills needed for research today and in the future (e.g., AI, open research, interdisciplinary collaboration)
• Share effective practices for creating impactful and sustainable development programmes
• Focus on strategies for generating and maintaining engagement with professional development initiatives within different groups
• Explore strategies or collaborations that focus on making the sector sustainable in the current climate

Championing inclusive and supportive research environments:

This theme is dedicated to developing and advocating for inclusive and supportive environments that will make careers in research more open, inclusive and rewarding for all. Submissions might:

• Address strategies for creating inclusive research environments and/or support mechanisms for diverse researchers
• Showcase insights from initiatives that foster a culture of belonging and well-being
• Explore topics such as equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) practices, mental health support, and community building
• Facilitate discussion on issues such as research culture and the wider policy environment

Session formats

Proposals should be designed to be engaging for in-person delivery. In-person sessions will primarily take place in a parallel format during the in-person element of the conference, to be delivered on Monday 22 or Tuesday 23 September at We The Curious, Bristol, UK. If your proposal is successful, the date and time of your session will be confirmed with you prior to the event.

In-person sessions should be either:

• 30 minutes in duration. These shorter ‘special interest’ sessions might focus on sharing research findings or specific instances of practice. They may include elements of interaction or Q&A but will likely be more presentational in form.
• 60 minutes in duration. These hour-long sessions could be for an interactive workshop, discussion forum, networking activity or similar.

We also invite submissions for in-person posters related to the themes, which will be showcased at the in-person element of the conference.

Submit a proposal for an in-person session by Friday 2 May 2025

Submit a proposal for a in-person poster by Friday 2 May 2025