Concordat Champions

As part of the University’s commitment to the Concordat to support the career development of researchers, each School is encouraged to appoint a local Concordat Champion. The role of the Champions is to help raise awareness of the Concordat and our collective role in supporting careers of researchers. Champions are academic members of staff who are on school committees, and they work closely with Research Staff Reps, Heads of Schools and others to address the local research culture.

They act as a link between researchers, Schools, and the wider University, helping to:

• Promote good practice in researcher development, wellbeing, and career support.
• Encourage accountability by ensuring their School reflects Researcher Development Concordat principles in their policies and practices.
• Provide a voice for researchers by raising issues, sharing concerns, and helping shape institutional approaches.
• Champion positive culture change around equality, diversity, inclusion, and sustainable careers.

In short, Concordat Champions help make sure the University’s commitments to supporting researchers' careers are lived out in practice, not just in policy.

Role description

To define the purpose, responsibilities, expectations, and requirements of the role, Concordat Champions developed a role description that was approved by the Research Culture Committee: Concordat Champion Role Description (Office document, 38kB)

Concordat Champions Forum

The Concordat Champions Forum meets 5-6 times per year. For further information and for the group's Terms of Reference, see the Research Culture governance page.