WIREDGOV

New action plan will support world class research and innovation teams and help to build a diverse and inclusive research and innovation (R&I) system.

Credit: SolStock, E+ via Getty Images

Building on insights

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is delighted to publish a new people and teams action plan. It builds on insights from implementing our existing Researcher Development Concordat and Technician Commitment action plans and reviewing of our progress against them.

UKRI published an action plan to implement its obligations as a research funder under the Researcher Development Concordat in July 2020. Our Technician Commitment plan was published in February 2021 and considers our role as both a funder and employer of technicians.

The new people and teams plan will consider our obligations under both initiatives and replaces both plans going forward. It aligns to a range of related programmes across UKRI, including:

• review of peer review
• Résumé for Research and Innovation
• Future Research Assessment Programme
• Simpler and Better funding
• our upcoming equality, diversity and innovation (EDI) strategy and workforce EDI plan

The plan forms part of UKRI’s response to the independent review of research bureaucracy and UKRI’s strategic objective to become a world class organisation.

Developing the future R&I workforce

People are the bedrock of the UK R&I system, key to delivering the societal benefits of research and innovation and essential for our ambition to be a world leader in research and innovation.

In every sense, skilled people, the knowledge and experience they gain working on our projects, and the networks they make, are a core output of UKRI’s investment in research and innovation.

Shift research culture

Our new plan aims to support our priority to shift research culture to support talented people and teams in pursuing their ideas and building connections across disciplinary and sector boundaries.

The action plan sets out how we will:

• support the talented people and teams working directly for UKRI across our science sites
• incentivise workforce development and a diversity of staffing models
• set clear expectations of how UKRI funding can be used to develop the diversity of roles and career paths the sector needs
• engage with the sector to support our stakeholders to build a thriving, diverse and inclusive R&I system

Across UKRI, in our councils and institutes, colleagues are taking forward their own plans to build a supportive, inclusive and developmental culture and environment, aligned to the new action plan.

Reinforcing UKRI’s commitment

Melanie Welham, UKRI’s executive champion for People, Culture and Talent, said:

This revised plan reinforces UKRI’s commitment and ambitions for the Researcher Development Concordat and Technician Commitment. I’d like to thank our communities for their essential input to this, and their broader ongoing engagement with our People, Culture and Talent portfolio.

Taken alongside the recent announcement of a new Institute for Technology Skills and Strategy, this demonstrates significant progress in ensuring the huge range of roles which contribute to the delivery of UKRI investments are recognised and valued.

If you’d like to speak to us about the new plan or invite us to an event you’re hosting, please email talent@ukri.org