Introduction

These notes briefly set out in shortened form, practical steps which heads of department/chairs of faculty and departmental/faculty administrators should take to contribute to implementing the Employment and Career Management Scheme for Researchers. Fuller detail is contained in the Employment and Career Management Scheme for Researchers, which you may access from this page. This Scheme is informed by the principles of the UK Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers.

The Scheme refers to University policies, including intellectual property rights policy. Every effort has been taken to ensure that guidance provided here is accurate and up-to-date. Please note that, where the guidance contained here deviates from University policy, the University's policy documents take precedence.

How to use these notes

The University expects that all arrangements based on the Employment and Career Management Scheme will be embedded within departments/faculties/institutes/centres (hereafter referred to as 'departments'. Some of the practicalities outlined in these notes will vary within departments, for example in accordance with the length of contract and seniority of individual researchers and PIs; the requirements of institutions; the extent to which researchers work in groups and teams; and the security of external funding.

Complementary guidance notes for PIs/supervisors of researchers are available. You may wish to develop more detailed, 'local' guidance from these notes. For example, you may wish to highlight which steps during a recruitment process should be undertaken by a PI in your department and which should be undertaken by a member of administrative staff, with appropriate contact information. Please also note that a series of questions for researchers has been developed, in order to highlight important aspects of career management and to guide reflection and planning.

These notes for heads of department and departmental administrators cover:

  • selection and recruitment of researchers;
  • pay;
  • conditions of service;
  • newly appointed researchers;
  • career planning and development;
  • before funding ends.

Signposting to further information

Links are provided in these pages to sources of further information and support. These links are included as signposts: you are not expected to access them all, but may find that you are able to use them to find answers to questions relating to policy, for example, or sources of support. You may also find it helpful to be aware of the range of guidance and support that is available for researchers and for PIs. If you consider it appropriate to develop more detailed, local guidance from these notes, you may wish to include some of these links within local guidance.