RCUK Impact Strategy - Aims Name Job title Research Councils UK

RCUK Impact Strategy Aim 1 Engaging key stakeholders: advance the rate of innovation from our investments by developing forward-looking relationships that identify and address the needs of users of research.

Working with the TSB TSB are a key partner for Research Councils and we have both single, bi and multi lateral interactions. TSB offer a complementary channel for linking the outcomes of our investments to the businesses that can apply them so that they can be exploited rapidly. All Research Councils are actively engaged in a range of joint activities which takes a number of forms including joint funding, exchanging expertise and staff and influencing each others strategy/policy work. Examples of activities include: alignment between RC investments and Catapults Centres, integration of RC’s in innovation platforms, and the roadmap for UK regenerative medicine, as well as mature areas of collaboration such as high value manufacturing, low carbon vehicles and synthetic biology

Working with the Funding Councils We work together to ensure that barriers to delivering impact are minimised, and our policies on impact are aligned. Dual Support: The system of funding research, partly by HEFCE and partly by the Research Councils. The government has repeatedly stressed its commitment to the dual support system which is generally considered to provide a good balance. RCUK has multiple areas of interest with Funding Councils and work particularly closely with HEFCE across all areas of our work. Examples of alignment include: –HEFCE, RCUK and UUK Joint statement on impact –working together to ensure greater open access to published research –researcher skills development e.g. committing to fund Vitae through its transition phase to become self sustaining –development of impact consideration within the REF

Strategic government and sector relationships Presenting a single external face to key strategic stakeholders makes knowledge exchange easier and more effective: RCUK has a co-ordinated approach to working with key cross-Council business sectors: pharmaceutical; energy; water and the creative industries, adding value by having a single point of contact for stakeholders. One Council leads on engagement on behalf of all. Agreements for closer working have been established with key government departments that have multiple Research Council interactions: DCLG; Home Office; MOD, catalysing government, academia and industry to work together. This way of working allows us to identify joint strategic priorities, run joint programme, provide guidance for government and maximise knowledge exchange

Users: Public, Private and Third Sector Highly collaborative research base - 2,500 user organisations collaborate on our grants Bi-annual user satisfaction survey to gather feedback Representation on advisory structures including within cross-council programmes e.g. peer review

RCUK Impact Strategy Aim 2 Maximising Research Impacts: increase impact from our investments by improving support mechanisms, as well as through evaluation, sharing best practice and communicating the benefits of our continued support of research, training and the provision of facilities.

Pathways to Impact Excellent research with impact is central to Research Council activities Through Pathways to Impact we want to encourage researchers to actively think about how they will achieve excellence with impact and to explore the pathways for realising the impact. Research Council guidance and assessment procedures aim to: –maximise both excellence and impact, and –ensure user perspectives are strongly represented The primary criterion for RCUK funding remains excellent research.

Knowledge transfer / exchange Delivering Impact - Knowledge Sharing

Capturing research outcomes RCUK uses the information researchers provide to report on the outputs, outcomes and impact of research to both the Government and the public. By collecting the outputs, outcomes and impact of research it enables RCUK to: - provide a strong evidence base to support the continued funding of research in the UK - improve the quality of reporting, - Maintain longer-term relationships with grant holders - open up communication with researchers -to improve information and reporting on research outcomes by having common reporting systems. Researchers and/or institutions submit information about their research using two online systems: Research Outcomes System (ROS) and ResearchFish (formerly e-Val).

Gateway to Research The goal of Gateway to Research is to give the public better access to information on research funded by the Research Councils. Particularly information such as: –who, what and where the Research Councils fund –the outcomes and outputs from Research Councils’ funding, linking to already available open access repositories and/or data catalogues. Gateway to Research is aimed at those that wish to access UK research information, with a particular focus on innovation intensive SMEs, who wish to understand the UK research base. The final live system will be launched at the end of 2013 but a beta version of the site is now available to use at:

Assessing and measuring impact RCUK is a world leader in economic impact methodologies, and will continue to build capacity in impact assessment to ensure we can measure and demonstrate the impact of the research we fund. RCUK have undertaken a number of evaluations and reviews related to the knowledge exchange and impact of their investments. RCUK’s impact strategy has also been influenced by a number of external reviews and reports such as; - User Satisfaction Survey (USS) -Excellence with Impact (RCUK 2007) RCUK also produce annual Economic Impact Reports as well as metrics which provide a picture of each individual Research Council's performance.

RCUK Impact Strategy Aim 3 Delivering highly skilled people: drive innovation in knowledge exchange through enhancement of knowledge exchange skills in the research base and encourage movement of highly skilled people between the research base and user communities at all career stages.

Delivering Highly Skilled People Postgraduate Research, Research Staff, Fellowships and Grant Holders Equality and Diversity (across all career stages) Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers Vitae Researcher Development Evidence of impact and career pathways

Researcher Numbers Approx. current Postgraduate Research ~17,500 Research Staff* ~10,000 Fellowships ~3,500 Grant holders: PrincipaI Investigators ~8,500 The shape of research groups varies by subject *Posts on research grants, typically post-doctoral

Postgraduate Research Research Councils collectively –Invest £330M a year in postgraduate research –Support roughly 17,500 current PhDs –Which provides around 4,500 new doctoral graduates each year for employment in higher education and elsewhere Expect research organisations to –Attract excellent candidates –Provide high quality research training –Be responsive to student and employer needs

Research Staff Research Councils fund around 10,000 staff posts on grants, typically post-doctoral Research Grant Condition GC1 (excerpt): The Research Organisation is expected to adopt the principles, standards and good practice for the management of research staff set out in the 2008 Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers Research Grant Condition GC8 (excerpt): The Research Organisation must assume full responsibility for staff funded from the grant and, in consequence, accept all duties owed to and responsibilities for these staff, including, without limitation, their terms and conditions of employment and their training and supervision, arising from the employer/employee relationship.

Fellowships Research Councils collectively –Roughly 1,000 fellows at any one time (durations of award vary) Hosted by UK research organisations –Eligibility is not restricted by nationality or where candidates live Individual awards for career development –Excellent researchers with prospect of leading research in their field

Grant holders Principal and co-investigators can apply for funding for the time spent on research Role as leaders of research teams Proposals ask for pathways to impact –Includes Staff development Research outcomes (ROS/ResearchFish) include –Staff training –Staff destinations

RCUK Expectations: Equality and Diversity Organisations receiving Research Council funds will: promote and lead cultural change in relation to E&D engage staff at all levels with improving the promotion of E&D ensure all members of the research workforce are trained and supported – to address disincentives and indirect obstacles to recruitment, retention and progression in research careers provide evidence of how E&D issues are managed at both institutional and department level

Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers Agreement between Funders and Employers of Researchers in the UK. Principles cover: –Recruiting, selecting and retaining researchers –Researchers are essential to delivering a research strategy –Support to be adaptable and flexible –University provision of personal and career development –Researchers’ engagement in personal and career development –Diversity and equality –Progress reviews EC HR Excellence in Research Awards

Vitae £3.7M contract with CRAC Jan Mar 2015 Objectives –A step change in UK HEI support for career development of research staff –Securing structures for practice sharing and collaborative development of practice –Reconfiguration of resources Additional Vitae business strands: –Direct activities for UK HEIs –International activities

Researchers careers What do researchers do? –First destinations by subject –Career profiles –Career profiles of doctoral entrepreneurs –Doctoral graduate destinations and impact three years on Career stories portal –database of careers stories –Career stories on film with icould Employers’ briefings –targeting the postgraduate and researcher market –researchers’ skills and competencies

Researcher Development In 2002, “Roberts” Review –4.2: Training elements of a PhD to be strengthened – emphasis on skills useful in a range of employment (transferable skills) –5.3: Postdoctoral researchers to be able to develop a range of career paths (emphasis on career planning and associated development opportunities) Funding for researcher development is now embedded in Training Grants and Research Grants

Researcher Development Framework (RDF) Major new approach to researcher development –evolution of the Joint Skills Statement for PGRs and research staff –describes knowledge, behaviours and attributes of researchers at different stages of development –providing a language for communicating researcher qualities

Researcher Development Framework (RDF) Researcher Development Statement endorsed by key stakeholders RDF website –resources, FAQs –researcher profiles –JSS mapping Professional development tool RDF lenses

Evidence base Reviews –Progress in implementing the Concordat –HR Excellence in Research –Implementation of Roberts’ recommendations Surveys –Destinations of Leavers of Higher Education (DLHE) +6 months; Longitudinal DLHE +3.5 years; +7 years –Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) –Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS); –Principal Investigators and Research Leaders Survey (PIRLS)

Doctoral Impact and Career Tracking RCUK works with HESA on surveys of destinations of leavers of higher education (DLHE) “What Do Researchers Do?” publication series from Vitae, using the biennial Longitudinal DLHE at 3-4 years on from completing a doctorate ( A study has also been commissioned to look at careers and impact 7+ years on

WDRD? three years on Experience of research degree programme Value of the doctorate (82% requirement or important) Employability –2% unemployed –54% have changed jobs –£34,000 median gross annual salary Satisfied with career to date (93%) Undertaking research (40% most of the time) Use of research (82%) and generic skills (91%) Impact on employment (94%) and beyond (89%) Unique doctoral occupations 2073 doctoral graduates from 2005 responded to the L-DLHE (45% response rate)

UK Researcher Online Surveys* SurveyParticipation** and survey frequency Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 102 HEIs; 31,202 responses (32%) Annual survey Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS) 46 HEIs, 5585 responses (25%) Biennial survey Principal Investigators and Research Leaders Survey (PIRLS) 33 HEIs, 2588 responses (19%) New in 2011 *All surveys use the same IT platform – Bristol Online Survey (BOS) **Total UK HEIs = 166

Researcher Development – 2013 Review Reviewing the impact of the revised funding arrangements for Researcher Development and their operation. –Funding embedded in fees –Via indirect costs of research grants To assess the impact of the funding change and whether researcher development has become embedded in research training and staff support. Survey March-May, reporting Autumn 2013

European Commission's HR Excellence in Research Award Award acknowledges alignment with European –Charter for Researchers –Code of Conduct for their Recruitment Vitae able to advise and co-ordinate submissions to the UK review panel Vitae review of UK implementation –Contribution to strategic goals –Impetus for change –Supporting internal processes –Raising the status of researcher development –Meeting researchers’ needs –Attracting funding

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