Research Culture Cafes
Research Culture Cafés
An opportunity for you to share experiences of our current research culture.
As part of our ongoing work to create and promote a positive and inclusive research culture we are holding a series of café style conversations. These are based on the format used by the Wellcome Trust as a space to discuss challenges and propose ideas. By getting involved you can contribute to discussion on the challenges you face, what we are already doing well and could share more widely, and what would a better culture look like. The Cafés form part of an ongoing project to promote a positive research culture, and the discussions will help to propose solutions for how the institution could change. Collaboration and community are key to a vibrant, healthy culture so come along and take part. Have your say.
How the cafés work
They are run as small group discussions with a facilitator to help guide and direct the conversation. There may be some information and resources shared at the time of advertising the café and on the day to define the remit. We will use some reflective questions to help get the group conversations started. Groups will contain a mix of up to 10 people. The facilitator will make notes but these will be anonymised. At the end of each event the challenges, examples of best practice and ideas will be shared with all participants through our Research Culture Community Teams Channel.
Get involved
Café conversations will be run regularly, approximately every two months. You are welcome to participate in as many as you wish. Each Café will cover themes aligned to our Research Culture Strategic Objectives (SOs), which are listed below, and or other national initiatives which include Research Culture, like for examples the Concordat(s) and the Technician Commitment. As a result some cafes will also be dedicated to staff categories.
- SO1 Valuing diverse forms of research activity
- SO2 Embedding EDI principles in research
- SO3 Enabling Open Research practices
- SO4 Mutually supporting and developing research teams
Another part of the project is to build a Research Culture Community, a network to discuss further plans and to provide members with an opportunity to share their ideas and examples of best practice. The Cafés and community will be supported by our Research Culture Team. Join the Research Culture Community and get involved.
Upcoming cafés
February - June 2025 events:
The following Research Culture Cafés from February to June are specifically designed for different groups of colleagues, with sessions tailored for professional services staff, technical staff, and postgraduate researchers. While these events are usually open to all staff and focus on broader themes, the upcoming sessions are tailored to the unique perspectives of those in specific roles. This approach offers a dedicated space for discussion and insight-sharing within each group. These cafés provide a supportive, peer-focused environment to share experiences and contribute to shaping a positive, inclusive research culture. We will use insights from the Research Staff Survey and PULSE Surveys to help guide discussions.
- 12 February 2025, 11am-12noon (online) – For professional services. Sign up for the café on 12 February 2025
- 23 April 2025, 2-3pm (online) – For technical staff. Sign up for the café on 23 April 2025
- 10 June 2025, 10-11am (on campus) – For postgraduate researchers. Sign up for the café on 10 June 2025
Future events:
The themes and remits for the following sessions will be confirmed closer to the event. In the meantime, you can still book your place on the following links:
- 6 August 2025 (11am-12noon, online via Zoom) – Sign up for the café on 6 August 2025
Previous events in 2024-25:
The following sessions ran as part of our Research Culture Café series in the 2024-25 academic year:
14 August 2024 (11am-12noon, online via Zoom)
Theme and remit: PULSE Survey feedback and discussion on future format of our Research Culture Cafés.
16 October 2024 (11am-12noon, online via Zoom)
Theme and remit: Professional and career development, research integrity and responsible research and innovation. In addition to this café event, you may be interested in the following online training module:
Our online course on research integrity and ethics provides a comprehensive introduction to the key principles and policies that guide our research practice. Based around the UK Concordat to Support Research Integrity, the modules are designed to help you reflect on the ethical considerations for conducting research. The content is highly recommended for all researchers and those who support research at the University of Leeds.