Stable career opportunities
We’re committed to providing stable, supportive career pathways that help staff and students thrive, grow, and make meaningful contributions to research.
Career development support
- Researcher Development ConcordatThe University of Bristol has committed to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, an agreement aimed at improving employment conditions and support for research staff.
- Bristol Doctoral College: Development for PGRsOur Bristol Doctoral College work alongside Schools, Faculties and other professional services teams to ensure the role of PGR students within the university is recognised, supported and developed.
- People DevelopmentPeople Development support staff to thrive in their role, develop their career and realise their full potential.
General support
- Research Services Hub (internal link)This hub provides support, guidance and resources to help researchers and research staff at each stage of the research journey, from finding a funding opportunity to reporting on research outputs.
- Peer learning networksThere are several staff networks available to join where staff can communicate with peers, access useful resources, raise issues and share skills and knowledge.
- Staff networksOur staff networks provide a safe space for colleagues with shared identities or circumstances to connect with others, share experiences and challenge organisational practices to create a more inclusive working environment.
Policies, processes and schemes
Staff and PGR empowerment
We have several structures in place to give our staff and PGRs a voice in how the University operates to support them. Our Research Culture governance structure allows issues to be escalated from staff and PGRs to those in senior leadership who can authorise and generate change.
List of recently funded projects
(2024-25)
This project aims to build an engaging and dynamic community of Early Career Researchers in the Faculty of Science and Engineering to explore stable career paths and collaboration opportunities outside academia by leveraging our network of existing external partners.
The project asks: what does it look to value parents for what they bring in research and higher education? How could research
practice change for the better when parents feel supported?
The project’s activities follow three distinct strands: A) community, B) implementation of positive change, and C) research
collaboration, each with distinct objectives and deliverables.
This project builds on a prior Enhancing Researching Culture Funded Research project Returning
to Research: Enabling Mature PGRs to Thrive in Environmental Research Careers. Overall project aims are to:
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Identify and address the unique challenges faced by mature PGRs
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Develop and implement targeted support services for mature PGRs
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Partner with BDC, careers, and disability services to implement resources
EFF provides free access to Science & Engineering TRAC facilities to researchers facing barriers, including early career researchers, those returning from career breaks, and those exploring new research areas.
Facilities included: NanoESCA, the Cleanroom, Interface Analysis Centre, Atomic Force Microscope, and X-Ray Tomography, among others.
EFF’s primary goal is to bridge the financial gap for new research projects that require facility time, bringing new ideas to life that wouldn’t otherwise have been possible.
This project aims to:
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Enhance engagement with the Researcher Development Concordat
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Empower Managers and Researchers to better understand & familiarise
themselves with their obligations -
Create opportunities to discuss the Concordat obligations and how they are
implemented at local levels -
Empower researchers to take charge of their career
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Improve researcher culture at UoB
Aims:
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Improve commercialisation support for female/non-binary researchers.
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Provide funding and recognition for innovative ideas led by underrepresented researchers.
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Promote diversity in research innovation and commercialisation.
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Expand engagement in innovation through mentorship and entrepreneurial training.
Postgraduate training is an essential part of the early research career path. Delivering forward-thinking, inclusive and engaging training is challenging. Doing this sustainably with small institutional budgets means thinking creatively.
Our vision for PGR training at UoB includes ‘train the trainer’ models. We propose to train PGRs in selected strategic areas and to train them to then train and support PGRs in their local environment. In addition, we will support this training with the creation of high-quality online video resources to complement this PGR-led training.