Research concordat

I am delighted to introduce the University of Brighton’s new implementation plan for the 'Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers' 2018-2020. Over the past eight years, we have made considerable progress in the provision of support for our research community. The launch of our Research and Enterprise Strategic Plan 2017-2021 gave us the opportunity to invest in and support staff to develop research and enterprise capabilities that will enhance our local, regional, national and international profile.

This implementation plan sets out how we will further strengthen our significant investment in research infrastructure support for staff at all stages of their research career. We will further enhance career support for our broad range of Early Career Researchers (ECRs) by extending our mentoring and peer support, by developing new strands of development activity related to enterprise and knowledge exchange, and by the provision of training support for those ECRs from professional backgrounds. We will enrich the understanding of academic quality and enable ECRs to gain doctoral supervision experience.

We will also focus on equipping our managers and leaders to enable them to deliver this agenda, providing training and networking opportunities. Finally, we aim to improve the representation of our ECR community, through augmented representation on Committees, a more comprehensive web presence for staff at all career stages, and a focus on building up the external profile of staff by supporting them to participate in national and international roles.

Our planned actions will ensure that staff are able to fully realise their potential in a university that is inspirational and supportive.

Professor Tara Dean
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise)

The Concordat to support the career development of researchers

The Concordat - which was produced by Research Councils UK and Universities UK - sets out the expectations and responsibilities of researchers, their managers, employers and funders. It aims to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK and to improve the quantity, quality and impact of research for the benefit of UK society and the economy. It provides a framework for career development based around seven principles.

In order to address the Concordat principles the university developed an implementation plan (pdf) following both formal and informal consultation with research staff and research managers across the institution. The revised plan was approved for publication in January 2018 and the delivery of the plan is being directed by the Concordat Steering Group which includes staff from human resources, equality and diversity and careers as well as principal investigators, contract and early career researchers.

Click here to view our report for the 2018 six year review.

Download the implementation plan 2018 - 2020 (pdf)

Plans and reports

Concordat action plan 2012-14

2014 interim review report

Concordat implementation plan 2014-2016

2016 review report (four years)

Concordat implementation plan 2016-2018

Progress on 2016-2018 implementation plan

2018 review report (six years)

Concordat implementation plan 2018-2020

Useful links

Visit the Concordat website

Visit the Research Office Researcher Development page

(restricted access for staff only)

European Commission ‘HR Excellence in Research’ Award

Announced by the European Commission in April 2018, the University of Brighton has retained its ‘HR Excellence in Research’ award. The award recognises the concrete steps the university has put in place to enhance working conditions for researchers as set out in the European Charter and Code. The award was retained following the university’s six year review.

The Concordat principles

Principle 1: Recognition of the importance of recruiting, selecting and retaining researchers with the highest potential to achieve excellence in research.

Principle 2: Researchers are recognised and valued by their employing organisation as an essential part of their organisation’s human resources and a key component of their overall strategy to develop and deliver world-class research.

Principle 3: Researchers are equipped and supported to be adaptable and flexible in an increasingly diverse, mobile, global research environment.

Principle 4: The importance of researchers' personal and career development, and lifelong learning, is clearly recognised and promoted at all stages of their career

Principle 5: Individual researchers share the responsibility for and need to pro-actively engage in their own personal and career development, and lifelong learning.

Principle 6: Diversity and equality must be promoted in all aspects of the recruitment and career management of researchers

Principle 7: The sector and all stakeholders will undertake regular and collective review of their progress in strengthening the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK.