Being a researcher

Human Resources (HR) and Researcher Development run ‘New Staff Meet-up’ sessions for staff who have recently joined the University. As part of these sessions, colleagues in different roles will give ‘lightning talks’ on their experiences of working at the University and there will be an opportunity for networking.

A comprehensive guide designed to highlight key resources for career planning and the stage at which you might need them during your time at the University of Edinburgh.

The Concordat sets out, in three clear principles: environment and culture, employment and professional and career development, the responsibilities of researchers, managers of researchers, institutions and funders. 

It aims to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK and to improve the quantity, quality and impact of research for the benefit of the UK society and its economy.

A key commitment in the Concordat is that University of Edinburgh will provide opportunities, structured support, encouragement and time for researchers to engage in a minimum of 10 days professional development pro rata per year, recognising that researchers will pursue careers across a wide range of employment sectors.

You are expected to undertake research in such a way that allows others to have confidence and trust in the methods and findings of the research.  This responsibility relates both to the methodological integrity of conducted research and to the professional integrity of the individuals undertaking the research.  The links below provide information on policies, codes of practice, training to help you research with integrity and routes to report concerns around research misconduct. 

The University of Edinburgh is committed to promoting and developing a vibrant and inclusive research culture. View the University’s Research Culture Action.

The Research and Innovation Strategy 2030 sets out the University’s research and innovation plans and ambitions for the next six years.

EDI information, training courses and learning resources for staff

The Digital Research Services team provide a range of support to researchers including the advice you need to navigate the research services provided by Information Services and other leading University of Edinburgh IT providers. We can help select the resources which best fit your research requirements, identify training opportunities, and calculate IT-related costs for funding applications. You can find our contact details on the website alongside some of the resources we cover including those for data-intensive and computational research.

The Behaviours Charter gives examples of the types of behaviours which reflect our shared values and is designed to help us embed a values led approach across the University.The Behaviours Charter will help us, as University staff, talk about behaviours in a consistent way and provides a framework to lead two way conversations about how we do our jobs as well as what we do.  

An online resource developed by researchers and staff at the University of Edinburgh. The roadmap is designed to help researchers (particularly early-career researchers) consider how to implement good research practices at every research stage of their work – planning, doing and disseminating – to ensure their research is high quality, reproducible, open, ethical, and impactful.

The InFrame project 'Ethical Leadership amid Precarity' investigated how academics in precarious positions (PAs) perceive ethical leadership in their contexts; and using this information developed specific resources to support the development of leadership skills that promote ethical career progression and foster solidarity, empathy, collaboration, and fairness. The project developed two resources, a reflective guide for academics in precarious positions, and another aimed at line managers/PIs.

A Practical Guide for PIs, Research Group Leaders and Senior Postdocs, to develop and maintain an effective research group/lab handbook.

All of the outputs from the InFrame project team and from our Culture Catalyst Fund projects will be available on our Open Science Framework (OSF) site.

Videos and webinar recordings are available on the InFrame YouTube channel.  

Key Culture Catalyst Fund outputs are available on the Research Cultures website