
The Concordat is an agreement between the employers and funders of UK researchers. Its main focus is staff who are employed primarily to conduct research. The overarching aims of the agreement are to enhance the research base and to increase the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK.
In 2010, the University of Salford received the European Commission HR in Excellence Award in recognition of the University’s commitment to supporting researchers and their career development as outlined in the 2010 Concordat Implementation Plan and the resources below. In 2014 the University was one of the first tranche of organisations to receive this award for a second year period following a review of progress against the original 4 year plan, and an updated action plan for 2014-2018.
The University has recently submitted its 8 year Concordat review, detailing the progress that has been made particularly from 2016-2018. An updated 2018-2022 action plan is given below, which aligns with the University’s core strategy and the Research and Enterprise strategy, the aim of which is research excellence and researcher career and leadership development, delivered through a supportive and vibrant research culture which enables researchers at all levels to maximise the quality, impact and reach of their research.
The University offers opportunities to support researchers to get the most out of their research careers, aiming to continuously improve its provision for researcher career development. Our researchers experience a diverse range of career routes, and the University aims to improve research career development reflecting of this diversity and taking into account the various pathways for the career development of the Salford Researcher. We:
Researcher Training and Development at Salford is overseen by the Researcher Development Group who act as an advisory and consultative forum at key stages of the design and development of researcher training aimed at PGRs, ECRs and Academic Staff.
The University delivers many events for researchers across all subject areas:
There are a number of UK/EU policies which guide the University in enhancing researcher development: