Author: University of Bristol

Credit where credit is due – Recognising the contributions of our people in research outputs

Posted on by University of Bristol

By Fred Hale 

Fred is a Technical Business Partner and the Technician Commitment lead at the University of Bristol. Fred also spent 3 years seconded to the role of Strategic Technical Lead. He has long championed the University’s Technical Staff and Services. 

 

The University’s Research Culture Committee has updated the guidance for ensuring we recognise the contributions of both technical and professional services staff in our research outputs.

The University aspires to ensure that the contributions of all our staff in research outputs are fairly and appropriately recognised. Traditionally, contributions made by technical and other professional services staff have been omitted in research outputs. These guidelines support our shared vision of fair recognition and attribution.

The University of Bristol remains committed to developing and supporting our technical and professional services staff community, to the benefit of our research and teaching excellence. Championed by organisations such as RCUK, The Institute for Technical Skills and Strategy and GW4, the sector is promoting a ‘team science’ approach to research by proactively focusing on research culture improvements.

Our Technical and Professional Services Staff

At Bristol we have long recognised that research excellence is a real team effort, requiring collaboration and access to the best knowledge, skills and infrastructure.  We have outstanding facilities and services here, staffed by people who are exceptionally talented in what they do.  These are clearly critical to achieving quality results.

Technical and professional services staff often play a crucial part in enabling our research outputs to be achieved, whether that is through the running of samples, operating specialist equipment; design, manufacturing and building bespoke systems, adapting the environment, developing new techniques, recording and analysing data, providing intellectual input and offering solutions based upon knowledge, experience and information.

Research is often interdisciplinary in nature.  Our staff are well connected and are often able to find solutions to problems, both internally and externally.

Two such groups are our Research Technical Professionals group and our Research Professionals group.

Technical Staff Conference 2024 Organising Committee.
Technical Manager Greg Kemble presenting GW4 X-Cited project for Research Technical Professionals at the Technical Staff Conference 2024.

Haven’t we always recognised contributions?

Yes and no.  While Academic colleagues often include professional services staff in acknowledgments or as co-authors, much of the guidance around research outputs is academically focussed. It hasn’t been particularly clear or understood who should be included and for what. Our guidance seeks to clarify the criteria and complies with the rules such as the CRediT Contributor Roles Taxonomy.

Why is this important?

This is vital because:

  • It is important on a personal level, where someone has played a significant role in achieving outputs it is only right and proper that this is recognised.
  • An accurate record of achievements is important for people’s own career and progression.
  • We should be striving for a research culture that values our people, and recognises and celebrates the hard work of each person involved in the research process
  • As an institution we are expected to be able to demonstrate our excellence in our people, culture and environment to our funders such as in our REF submissions. Our research funders are increasingly looking at the whole research infrastructure and culture within institutions.
  • As an organisation we need to know the impact of our technical and professional services staff to ensure we are developing and maintaining our research capability appropriately.

We believe that the new guidance provides clarity and look forward to seeing an increase in the volume of research professionals being appropriately recognised for their contributions in papers, publications and other research outputs.

Read the updated guidance.

If you have any questions regarding this guidance, feel free to email Greg Kemble at Greg.Kemble@bristol.ac.uk.

 

The University of Bristol is proud to support the Researcher Development Concordat—find out why it matters and how you can get involved

Posted on by University of Bristol

By Lydia Klimecki

Lydia Klimecki is a People Development Partner in the People Development Team where she manages Bristol Clear, Bristol’s Researcher Development Hub and leads on Bristol’s Researcher Concordat implementation. A qualified coach, Lydia is passionate about supporting strategic career advancement and culture change initiatives.

The Researcher Development Concordat is a national framework that sets clear expectations and directly impacts how researchers in the UK are employed and managed, outlining what they can expect from their employer, manager, and funder. It also provides guidelines for conducting research and personal development.

The University of Bristol has been a committed advocate of the Researcher Development Concordat since its early days, standing among the first institutions to endorse it at its launch in 2008 and reaffirming that commitment by signing the 2019 revision. This dedication is reflected in the way Concordat principles are embedded across the institution, through governance structures, policies, training, and regular progress monitoring. Bristol remains firmly focused on cultivating a positive, inclusive research culture that empowers its researchers and strengthens the future of research.

Bristol’s Researcher Development Concordat video explains the key principles of the Concordat and why they are essential to your work, whether you’re a Researcher or a PI, preparing a grant or fellowship proposal, managing a research team, or looking ahead to REF 2029. You’ll hear why embedding the Concordat’s values benefits individuals, teams, and institutions alike, what is already happening at Bristol and how you can get involved, including finding out who your local Concordat Champion is and connecting with them.

Robbie Mackenzie, Senior Research Associate in the Interface Analysis Centre as well as Researcher Rep for School of Physics, recently successfully applied and costed for a grant using the Concordat principles as a guide: “I knew the funder valued the development of early career researchers as a legitimate grant outcome. So, when hiring for the project, I included time for both development and contingency: I built in three months at the project end for the researcher to write papers, job hunt, and benefit from their experience, not just to finish project tasks.”

Another example of the Concordat in action is the inclusion of researchers in recruitment decision-making processes within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences: Many schools now actively encourage the participation of Pathway 2 Representatives in recruitment panels for grant-funded research positions.

Why should you engage with the Concordat?

For Researchers:

  • Understand your rights, responsibilities, and development opportunities.
  • Advocate for your professional needs and participate in shaping the research culture.
  • Use it as a benchmark to guide your career planning and progression.

For Line Managers and PIs:

  • Clarifies your role in supporting researchers’ development and wellbeing.
  • Encourages inclusive leadership and best practice in management.
  • Helps you meet institutional and funder expectations as well as REF 2029 requirements.

For Professional Services and Leadership:

  • Informs strategic planning around researcher support and development.
  • Enables coordinated institutional efforts to improve research culture.
  • Supports initiatives like Athena Swan and broader EDI strategies.

Get involved and act!

Together, we can build a more supportive, enabling research culture where people—and their ideas—can thrive.

Research to Reward: funding for commercialisation and culture

Posted on by University of Bristol

By Dr. Xiyue Zhang, Dr. Isabelle Cuthbert and Kit Bartlett

Dr. Xiyue Zhang is a Lecturer in the School of Computer Science at the University of Bristol, previously a Research Associate at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on trustworthy deep learning, integrating formal certification and practical testing. She advocates for equity, diversity, and fostering a supportive and inclusive environment in higher education.

 

Dr. Isabelle Cuthbert is a Research Associate in the School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience. Trained as a biochemist, she works on developing tools for use in neuroscience research. She hopes to inspire, support and empower other researchers to pursue impactful and innovative research in the life sciences.

 

Kit Bartlett is a Research Commercialisation Associate in DREI. They work with researchers to help identify, translate and commercialise innovative ideas, tools and inventions to deliver social, economic and environmental impact. They are an EDI advocate and co-creator and co-organiser of Research to Reward (alongside Olivia Champion).

 

Research to Reward (RtoR) is a new commercialisation-focussed funding scheme for female and non-binary University of Bristol researchers, made possible through Research England Research Culture funding 2024/25. Our aim was to celebrate and showcase fantastic researchers, to build a more inclusive innovation culture and tangibly helping advance projects towards commercialisation.

The scheme invited entrepreneurially minded researchers to apply for a chance to pitch to a judging panel and voting audience for one of two £20,000 prizes. Along the way, the finalists received communication and pitch training as a cohort and were supported to advance their knowledge of and skills in commercialisation and innovation, culminating a 5 minute pitch to 150 people.

The two exceptional winners of RtoR, Xiyue Zhang and Isabelle Cuthbert, talk about their experiences taking part in the scheme:

Dr Xiyue Zhang

Xiyue Zhang holding her trophy at the Research to Reward event 2024/25

“It created a rare and empowering space where female researchers could see what was possible and see it in one another”

“It showed me how powerful it can be to build a research culture where everyone feels seen, supported, and valued”

 

Xiyue Zhang won £20,000 for her tool that ensures AI-driven financial models aren’t discriminatory.

Embarking on the RtoR journey has been nothing short of transformative. My journey with RtoR began on 26 November 2024 at the Enterprise Roadshow. From that very first event, I was introduced to a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive research culture. Through this journey, I was deeply inspired by the stories of brilliant female entrepreneurs and had the opportunity to connect with researchers from various disciplines, all driven by a shared passion and sense of purpose.

In January, I became part of the first RtoR cohort and began participating in training workshops, which demystified entrepreneurship and commercialisation – areas that once felt so distant from my academic world. These sessions provided an environment where every voice was heard, and every innovative idea was encouraged, guided and refined. It was impossible not to feel energised by fellow researchers’ enthusiasm and creativity. It created a rare and empowering space where female researchers could see what was possible and see it in one another.

At the final event, watching each presenter shine and share their ideas with such clarity and confidence highlighted the magic of empowerment. What struck me most wasn’t just the quality of the ideas, but the spark and culture behind them.

This journey showed me that research culture is not just about achieving one-after-another professional milestones. What made RtoR exceptional was its commitment to building a supportive and inclusive research culture – one that celebrates diversity and empowers researchers to explore innovative ideas. By centring women and bringing together voices across disciplines, the scheme encouraged diversity, nurtured innovation, and empowered them to envision and achieve impactful outcomes. Personally, it vividly showed me how powerful it can be to build a research culture where everyone feels seen, supported, and valued.

Being through this journey has not only broadened my horizon of what’s possible in my own career – it’s inspired me to cultivate a similar culture within my own research team. A culture where diverse perspectives are welcomed, and every member feels empowered to grow.

Dr Isabelle Cuthbert

“The encouragement from the audience and the sense of community from my fellow finalists left me feeling empowered”

“Commercialisation no longer feels like the distant, abstract concept it did before I applied, but something I can achieve”

 

Isabelle Cuthbert won £20,000 to advance microscope techniques to help fight diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer.

I applied for RtoR in December 2024, excited by the opportunity to explore commercialisation but unsure as to where it may lead. I have always been interested in bringing research out of universities and into the real world, but actually doing it seemed really daunting. The training offered to finalists from SETsquared seemed like a great way to gain insight into the realities of commercialising an idea.

It came as a real shock to be selected as finalist! I was initially nervous to attend the first pitch training day, but the other finalists were so friendly and there was so much to take away from the experience. I felt inspired by the diverse range of ideas and innovations the finalists pitched. Everyone was so passionate about their project, and the trainers were fantastic at fine-tuning the delivery of our visions. It was clear we all grew a lot throughout the process.

The night of the event was both nerve-wracking and exciting. It was so great to see the hard work of the other finalists come to life, and it was a great opportunity to present to those outside my field. The audience’s genuine interest and warm reception made it clear that there was and is a real desire to bridge the gap between research and real-world application. The encouragement from the audience and the sense of community from my fellow finalists left me feeling empowered. This space was ours to advance.

Whilst winning the award was incredible, I have gained so much more from the experience as a whole. RtoR has completely changed how I view what I do. I feel like I belong in the entrepreneurial space now. Commercialisation no longer feels like the distant, abstract concept it did before I applied, but something I can achieve. Connecting with others who have successfully navigated this journey has been incredibly motivating and reaffirmed the value of collaboration in research commercialisation. The funding and continued support from the program will undoubtedly help me take the next steps in producing and commercialising my innovation.

The researchers who pitched for the £40,000 funding pot, alongside organisers Kit Bartlett and Olivia Champion from the University’s Commercialisation team.

Many thanks to Research England Research Culture funding for making Research to Reward a reality. We hope will continue to positively contribute to the University’s Research Culture through Research to Reward and similar initiatives for years to come.

Read the press release below for more information about the event:

March: Research to Reward | News and features | University of Bristol