Concordat Steering Group Terms of Reference

Versions

Updated: October 2024
Approved: October 2024
Next review: October 2025

Purpose

• Oversee the implementation and review of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers (i.e. the Researcher Development Concordat) with appropriate sector representation, including key stakeholder groups
• Ensure that the Researcher Development Concordat, and strategies for communication and implementation, remains relevant to the wider research system
• Publish and regularly update activities in relation to an implementation plan for the Researcher Development Concordat
• Provide a platform to share practice and promote this for the benefit of the research community at the University of Liverpool and its beneficiaries.

Achievement of Purpose

The following relevant areas are to be considered as part of the work schedule of this Group:

a) To create an agreed plan to progress all key areas of activity as identified in the University’s commitment to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and retaining the HR Excellence in Research Award.

b) To coordinate the implementation of the Action Plan related to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers.

c) To identify emerging priorities in researcher development in support of the Researcher Development Concordat.

d) To undertake needs analysis towards embedding the principles of the Researcher Development Concordat in research staff development across the University.

e) To encourage and promote the regular engagement of research and research-related staff with the University’s Statement of Expectations for Principal Investigators and Research Staff, and the information module on the Researcher Development Concordat.

f) To ensure continuous and consistent reflection on the realities of the research staff experience at Liverpool.

The Group should engage with the following:

• The Culture, Employment and Development in Academy Research Survey (CEDARS)
• Ongoing institutional surveys and projects that explore aspects related to the research environment
• Staff in Institutes/Schools/Faculties and central services who directly/indirectly support researchers.

Reporting Relationships

The Group reports through its Chair to the Research and Impact Committee in terms of alignment with other R&I activities and in relation to planning and resource allocation matters.

The Chair of the Group meets with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Impact and Faculty Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellors for Research and Impact every 6 months to enable alignment with the strategic priorities.

Frequency of Meetings

• The Group meets four times a year.
• Extraordinary meetings and events outside the above schedule may be called by majority agreement of the Group, and may take different formats as appropriate.

Quorum

The quorum of the Group shall be one quarter of the membership, including at least two academic research-only staff representatives.

Communication and Record Keeping

• All representatives will be responsible for ensuring appropriate communication and for circulating action points between the Group and their departments and local levels
• The University’s Leadership, Organisational, Staff and Academic Development Academy (The Academy) is responsible for servicing the Group.

Review

The Terms of Reference and Membership of the Group is reviewed annually. The next review to take place in October 2025.

Membership

Principles to which all members commit:

• Membership of the Group is for departments that support research staff
• Departments will put forward one named representative to contribute to the Group - representatives are not members of the Group in their own right
• Departments will send, in person, at least one representative to at least one meeting per quarter
• The expectation is that departments will review and refresh membership each academic year to ensure a broader representation of perspectives of the researcher population
• In addition to, but not in lieu of, the commitment that each department will send in person at least one representative to at least one meeting per quarter, representatives can join face-to-face meetings by remote means for relevant agenda items, at the Chair’s discretion.

Managing membership:

• Representatives will have a commitment to, or be leading on, innovative practice in research staff development at strategic or local levels
• Succession planning for new representatives will be the responsibility of their respective departments.

Current Membership

Other members may be invited to attend specific meetings at the discretion of the Group, including the following:

• Senior Research Ethics and Research Integrity Officer
• Head of Open Research
• Head of Diversity & Equality.

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