Research Careers Initiative

List of initiatives potentially relevant to career management and development of Contract Research Staff:

INITIATIVE	DETAILS	CONTACT
ESSENTIAL BACKGROUND
A Concordat on Contract Staff Career Management (as agreed by the Research Councils , CVCP, Royal Society, British Academy, SCOP and COSHEP).	Framework document setting out the commitments made by the signatories	Available with accompanying guidance on the CVCP Website
Supporting Contract Research Staff through Continuing Career and Professional Development.	Report from a survey of existing practice in HEIs with recommendations on: management practices; communications within institutions; career development and CPD; and training and development for research managers. Price £6.50 per copy for UCoSDA members.	UCoSDA Ingram House 65 Wilkinson St SHEFFIELD S10 2GJ Tel: 0114 222 1335 Fax: 0114 222 1333 e-mail ucosda@sheffield.ac.uk
SHEFC INITIATIVE ON CONTRACT RESEARCH STAFF
Realising their Potential: Report of the Contract Research Staff Initiative.	Report on the activities undertaken under the SHEFC initiative, including the context of the initiative and the issues and challenges ahead.	Ms Morag Campbell SHEFC Donaldson house 97 Haymarket Terrace EDINBURGH EH12 5HD Tel: 0131 313 6567 Fax: 0131 313 6501
Career Development Courses.	Model 1 or 2 day career development courses for contract research staff and for career development course providers, developed by SGCP. Report and further details available.	Barabara Graham SGCP Convenor Careers Service Strathclyde University Livingstone Tower 26 Richmond Street GLASGOW Tel: 0141 522 4400 ext. 3685 Fax: 0141 522 0595
Career Development Courses: Trainers' Pack.	Everything necessary to run a career development course. Price £25 including P&P payable to SGCP. Includes background materials, tutors' notes, handouts and OHP masters.	As above
Self-help guidance resource pack for academic researchers.	Free standing guidance resource pack. Price £8 including P&P payable to SGCP. Coverage includes identifying personal skills, job-search strategies, and self- presentation to employers.	As above
Guide to Job-Seeking via the Internet for academic researchers.	Price £6 including P&P payable to SGCP. Gives details of useful sites on the World Wide Web for academic and non-academic employment.	As above (also on-line)
The Way Forward: Career Options for Academic Researchers - report of conference at the University of Strathclyde 23 June 1997.	Conference report available from SGCP. Conference aimed to show value of academic research as foundation for range of careers and to indicate routes taken by researchers, including self- employment.	As above
Destinations of Contract Research Staff in Some Scottish Universities: A Pilot Study July 1997 by Kenneth Mackenzie	An investigation of the destinations, career histories and future career intentions of contract researchers in Scotland. Price £15 including P&P payable to SGCP who also published it.	As above
Effective Project Management.	Training Materials to run courses on career and personal development planning and effective project management - tutors' packs, users' packs and users' web versions	Ms Joy Wootten University Secretariat University of Aberdeen Regent Walk ABERDEEN AB9 1FX Tel: 01224 272 081
Providing Training Support and Careers Advice	Work-focussed career development for contact research staff now embedded in university provision. Including career mentoring and training workshops on management themes.	Sheila Thompson CRISP Office Staff Development Section HR Dept. University of Edinburgh 1 Roxburgh St EDINBURGH EH8 9TB Tel: 0131 650 9084 e-mail: sheila.thompson@ed.ac.uk
Developing the Managers of Contract Researchers.	Courses for senior research managers, principal investigators and first-time grant-holders, which have been converted into a manual of good practice, focusing on implementing the Concordat. Price £3.50 including P&P payable to Centre of Academic Practice, University of Strathclyde.	Professor George Gordon Director of Academic Practice University of Strathclyde 50 George St GLASGOW G1 1QE Tel: 0141 548 2637
Self-study Materials for the Managers of Contract Researchers.	Self-study units on strategic management, managing people, managing finance and other resources, projects and quality management and managing information. Price £50 including P&P payable to Staff Development Office, Glasgow Caledonian University.	Mr Robert Mackie Staff Development Officer Glasgow Caledonian University City Campus Cowcaddens Rd GLASGOW G4 0BA Tel: 0141 331 3434
Developing the Skills of Researchers and Research Managers.	Series of training materials providing a comprehensive programme of research training: Guides for New Researchers and New Managers (£15 each including P&P) and Realising Research Potential: The Challenge of Training, Video and report (£120 including P&P ), payable to Academic Affairs Department, The Robert Gordon University.	Ms E Forster Academic Affairs Department The Robert Gordon University Schoolhill ABERDEEN AB10 1FR Tel: 01224 262 163 or 262 155
Contract Research Staff Management: The Power of Case Studies.	Management training pilot seminar and training material for contact researchers, based on case studies for use by research groups.	Mr Donald Beaton, Director of HR Services and Dr Colin Mason, HR Services College Gate St Andrews Fife KY16 9 AJ Tel: 01334 462 556
Career management of Contract Research Staff: Guidelines for Good Employment Practice.	A checklist of questions which might be useful for HEIs to address when considering how to most effectively implement the principles of the Concordat. Based on questionnaires and interviews at 8 Scottish institutions.	Mr Brian Desmond, Director of HR University of Stirling STIRLING FK9 4LA Tel: 01786 467 137
DORCISS/ARCISS
Developing a Research Training Strategy: a Handbook of Professional Development.	One of four areas of training addressed through ESRC-sponsored DORCISS events, led by the Human Sciences and Applied Technology Research Centre, Loughborough University. Also contains much of interest to the individual researcher whatever his or her position in the department or organisation. Leaflet also available.	Mrs Claire Bradshaw Staff Development Loughborough University Leicestershire LE11 3TU Tel: 01509 222 381 Fax: 01509 223 072
Developing the Research Culture	One-day seminar. As above. Copies of programme available	As above.
Research Project Management	One-day seminar. As above. Copies of programme available	As above.
Strategy, Structure and Style.	One-day seminar. As above. Copies of programme available	As above.
OTHERS
Career Management Skills Network.	8 projects supported over two years to assist HEIs to develop students career management skills. Despite student focus, may have relevance to development of career management skills more generally.	Higher Education and Employment Division DfEE Room N4 Moorfoot SHEFFIELD S1 4PG e-mail: heed.dfee.mf@gtnet.gov.uk
STEP - "Skills Tracker".	Interactive, computer-based training programme. Based on the Management Charter Initiative's Integrated Model of Personal Competence. Encourages the self-assessment, development and record of skills, competencies and management behaviours that employers, especially SMEs, are looking for in recruits. Aimed at undergraduates, but with potential for wider relevance.	Liz Rhodes Programme Director STEP 115A&B Cleveland St LONDON W1P 5PN Tel: 020 7323 9158
ST+M Council - Employment Uses for Occupational Standards Software (ST+M is the Science, Technology and Mathematics National Training Organisation).	CD-ROM supporting a range of human resource activities - recruitment, appraisal, training needs analysis, developing job description etc. - for science-based occupations. Piloted 1997	Bill McNichol Chief Executive ST+M Council 20-22 Queensbury Pl LONDON SW7 2DZ Tel: 020 7225 1155 Fax: 020 7225 1997
Development of Occupational Standards for Researchers.	Report of a project carried out on behalf of the Researchers' Lead Body to identify and develop occupational standards, and to design a structure of NVQs/SVQs.	As above.
Career management for Postdoctoral Contract Research Staff.	Course aimed at encouraging and enabling postdocs to consider and prepare for jobs outside academia and especially in SMEs. Professionally prepared CVs also circulated to appropriate employers. Funded by Welsh Development Agency	Nicholas Bodycombe Careers Centre University of Wales 5-7 Corbett Rd CARDIFF CF1 3EB Tel: 01222 874 712 (Similar provision now at University of Wales Swansea.)

Useful Information and links:
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Research Careers Initiative

ESSENTIAL BACKGROUND

SHEFC INITIATIVE ON CONTRACT RESEARCH STAFF

DORCISS/ARCISS