For Professional Services

Excellent research requires a supportive and inclusive research culture

Healthy working environments attract and develop a more diverse workforce, impact positively on individual and institutional performance, and enhance staff engagement.  This Principle recognises that a proactive and collaborative approach is required between all stakeholders, to create and develop positive environments and cultures in which all researchers can flourish and achieve their full potential.

Professional Services colleagues in PD&PL, HR and the EIU must:

• Ensure institutional policies and practices relevant to researchers are inclusive, equitable and transparent, and are well-communicated to researchers and their managers.
• Promote a healthy working environment that supports researchers’ wellbeing and mental health.
• Make sure that managers of researchers receive training in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion, wellbeing and mental health.
• Ensure that researchers and their managers are aware of, and act in accordance with, the highest standards of research integrity.

Researchers are recruited, employed and managed under conditions that recognise and value their contributions

Provision of good employment conditions for researchers has positive impacts on researcher wellbeing, the attractiveness of research careers, and research excellence.  This Principle recognises the importance of fair, transparent and merit-based recruitment, progression and promotion, effective performance management, and a good work-life balance. All stakeholders need to address long-standing challenges around insecurity of employment and career progression, ensuring equality of experience and opportunity for all, irrespective of background, contract type and personal circumstances.

Professional Services colleagues in PD&PL, HR and the EIU must:

• Demonstrate open, transparent and merit-based recruitment practices, which attracts excellent researchers, using fair and inclusive selection and appointment practices.
• Provide an effective induction, ensuring that researchers are integrated into the community and are aware of policies and practices relevant to their position.
• Provide a clear and transparent merit-based recognition, reward and promotion pathways that recognise the full range of researchers’ contributions, and the diversity of personal circumstances.
• Seek to improve job security for researchers, for example through more effective redeployment processes and greater use of open-ended contracts

Professional and career development are integral to enabling researchers to develop their full potential

Researchers must be equipped and supported to be adaptable and flexible in an increasingly diverse global research environment and employment market.  This Principle recognises the importance of continuous professional and career development, particularly as researchers pursue a wide range of careers.

Professional Services colleagues in PD&PL, HR and the EIU must:

• Continue to provide opportunities and support for researchers to engage in a minimum of 10 days’ professional development, whilst recognising that researchers will pursue careers across a wide range of employment sectors.
• Provide training, structured support, and time for managers to engage in meaningful career development reviews with their researchers.

After signing the concordat, a gap analysis, action plan and annual reports will be used to monitor the continuous improvement of each organisation’s research culture and career provision. The University of Leeds must:

1. Send a letter from the head of the organisation, committing to the concordat, to Universities UK
2. Conduct a gap analysis
3. Produce an action plan to identify the steps to meet the concordat’s obligations. Publish action plan publicly within a year of signing the concordat.
4. Produce an annual report in each subsequent year to report on progress implementing their action plan. The date of submission will be taken from the date the organisation signed the concordat. The annual report should include strategic objectives, measures of success, an implementation plan and progress. This report must be made publicly available and easy to find on the organisation’s website.