The Researcher Development Concordat is an agreement made between key stakeholders to enhance researcher employment, support, and career opportunities in UK higher education. It outlines three distinct concepts about employment, professional and career growth, and environment and culture. The four main stakeholder groups (funders, institutions, researchers, and managers of researchers) have responsibilities as outlined by the 2019 Revised Concordat to realise the Concordat's goals, which serve as the foundation for the principles.
To enhance the environment and culture in which research is performed, the Researcher Development Concordat was developed for the benefit of the whole UK research community. It aims to enhance the quality of the research as well as benefit those conducting and managing research.
In accordance with the Concordat, you, your managers, and the funders of your research are expected to recognise that career development is a shared responsibility. Researchers should familiarise themselves with these responsibilities, some of which may also be included in the terms of your funding agreement or job contract. The Concordat is a flexible, ambitious, and living contract that will change to reflect the changing research landscape. You should maintain the Principles (hyperlink) outlined in the 2019 Revised Concordat as a researcher employed by an organization that has signed the Researcher Development Concordat.
The University has revised its Statement of Expectations for Principal Investigators (PIs) and Research Staff in accordance with the new Concordat principles.
The Concordat demonstrates Liverpool John Moores University's dedication to providing researchers with effective support through a comprehensive procedure centred on their employment, working environment and culture, and professional and career development.
You will have obligations to maintain the Principles as a manager of researchers employed by a signatory organisation. Find further details on how the Concordat impacts you.
LJMU has a Concordat Steering Group (CSG), chaired by a senior academic Dr Hannah Timpson. The CSG meet regularly and oversee the implantation of actions generated to work towards fulfilling the concordat principles in LJMU. Dr Timpson is also a permanent member of the University Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee (URKEC) and feeds issues related to fixed term researchers directly into URKEC. More recently, we are facilitating a Research Staff Association (RSA); the RSA will be led on a voluntary basis by researchers, with the aim of contributing to Institutional policy and practice development/developing best practice.
Progress towards the concordat is reviewed by Vitae on a two yearly basis, the CSG oversees the reporting of progress of actions and the evolution of a new action plan each cycle.
Please visit the CSG page for more information on the steering group team.
The Researcher Development Concordat is a living document that will develop as the research environment changes over time.
