Concordat
The Concordat to support the career development of researchers
The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers was launched in 2008 by a range of organisations with an interest in the development of Higher Education research and researchers, a full list of organisations is available here. The Concordat outlines the seven principles that universities are expected to address in relation to the management of contract research staff, these principles are also outlined here. In the Concordat researchers are defined as individuals whose primary responsibility is to conduct research and who are employed for this purpose.
Queen’s Response to the Concordat
A working group consisting of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Postgraduates), Director of Human Resources and a range of other staff involved in the management and support of researchers conducted a gap analysis of Queen’s provision for research staff alongside the Concordat Principles. The Queen’s Researcher Career Development Booklet is an outcome of this analysis and represents one of the University’s responses to the Concordat.
A further stage in the implementation of the Concordat has been addressed through the drafting of a Concordat Implementation Action Plan. This builds on the work of the Concordat Working Group and has also been informed by the views of Queen’s research staff gathered through the Careers in Research Online Survey (2009 and 2011). Further consultation was conducted in discussions at the Contract Research Staff Development Working Group, meetings with post-doc/research societies and others involved in the management of researchers. These groups will continue to be involved in the implementation on the Concordat at Queen’s.
A copy of the Concordat Implementation Action Plan can be downloaded here.
Implementation of the Concordat by individual universities will be externally reviewed every four years by a national body. A formal internal review will be conducted by Queen’s every two years, with the Concordat Working Group taking the lead on this process.
European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award
In implementing the Concordat Principles UK universities can demonstrate that they meet the requirements of the European Commission’s Charter and Code on Management of Researchers. In so doing Queen’s successfully applied for the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research award, which recognises adherence to the Charter and Code.
Staff will be kept informed of progress on the implementation of the Concordat during 2011-12. Information will be available on this website and will be circulated via other methods.
Further information is available at the Concordat to support the Career Development of Researchers.
