Research Staff
The School of Education and Social Work is dedicated to supporting the ongoing development of its research staff, including post-docs, research fellows, research assistants and associates.
Welcome to the School of Education and Social Work.
I’m sure you will find this a creative and exciting place to work.
We have a group of excellent researchers in the School and my role is to represent your views and voices on any issues affecting you as researchers and to communicate these back to the School Research Committee. This process is part of the spirit of collaboration and mutual support we all strive to achieve in this research environment.
All too often research can be a solitary process with the experiences and challenges of new researchers often going unheard. My role is to help to ensure this doesn’t happen and that we are able to use our collective voice to influence and create mutually beneficial and positive change.
I look forward to meeting with you during your induction.
Dr Jeongeun Park
Research Staff Representative
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For details on full support provided to our research staff see the Research Staff Handbook: 2024/25 [PDF 1.22MB].
The University Research Staff Office coordinates university-wide provision and support for research staff, including information on how Principal Investigators can support Research Staff.
The University has also signed the ‘Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers’ committing us to an appropriately managed and supportive environment for research staff, with opportunities for professional development.
See further details about training and development, one-to-one support and career planning.
- School Induction
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We value our research staff and offer a range of activities as part of the induction. Induction within the School has three main objectives:
- To help new members of research staff settle into their new environment
- To help them understand their responsibilities
- To help ensure the new research staff are introduced to other members of staff (professional services, academic faculty and other research colleagues)
The Assistant Research Manager, Hazel Crawford, is responsible for your induction to the School. She will explain processes and procedures and arrange an induction program for you on arrival within the school/department.
Within the first couple of weeks, you will be meeting the School's Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange (DRaKE), the Research Staff Representatives, Departmental Research Leads, your Principal Investigator (PI), the Head of Department, Research Centre Directors, and any other members of faculty and Professional Services staff in the School deemed relevant. In addition to receiving day-to-day support from your principal investigator/supervisor, you will also be assigned a research mentor who will be available to meet with you periodically for advice and support as part of your allocation of five (pro rata) career development days. The allocation of research mentor will be done within the first month of your arrival.
- Start of Contract Discussion
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Once you have settled into your new role and the School, the Assistant Research Manager will get in touch with you - and your Principal Investigator/Manager - to remind you to have your ‘start of contract’ discussion. It is recommended that this discussion takes place fairly quickly - ideally within the first month of your research contract - for the agreement of initial research and career development objectives.
To support you in planning for your start of contract discussion and professional development you should refer to the documentation available on the New Research Staff web page.
- Research Mentoring
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In addition to receiving day-to-day support from the principal investigator/supervisor, our research staff will also be assigned a research mentor who will be available to meet with you periodically for advice and support as part of your five (pro rata) career development days allocation. Some of the benefits of a one-to-one mentoring relationship are:
- Having a supportive relationship with someone outside of your line management, with whom you can explore and progress professional development goals
- Having the opportunity to learn from a more experienced colleague(s)
- Tailored support and guidance appropriate to your situation/career stage
- Confidential and objective discussions
- Engaging with Individual Research Plans
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The School of Education and Social Work is committed to ensuring that its Research Staff are fully engaged with its research culture and practices. Part of this process is an annual opportunity to reflect on your research activity over the previous year and consider how far your research aims have been realised, obstacles and facilitators. This exercise should be seen as an opportunity for research development, as well as a mechanism for capturing collective intelligence that will inform research planning as well as training/ development requirements for the following year. It does not form part of your ADR (Achievement and Development Review) or research mentoring. However, if you choose to, you can use it for both.
An online link to the IRP is circulated annually in order to support planning and support for next academic year.
- Career Development Days
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Every member of research staff in the School of Education and Social Work (and the University as a whole) is entitled to ten career development days per year (pro rata for part-time staff). These can be used for a variety of career-related activities, including meeting with a research mentor (see above) and attending career development training sessions - such as those organised by the University’s Research Staff Office. More information about training sessions can be found on the staff 'Training and development' web pages.
You are encouraged to take ownership of your career, identifying opportunities to work towards career goals by utilising these Career Development days. You may wish to consider opportunities to develop your awareness and experience of the wider research system through, for example, knowledge exchange, policy development, public engagement and/or becoming member of various groups and forums - within your School or across the University, such as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Research Committees, etc.
You might also consider putting yourself forward to be a Research Staff rep for the School and in so doing be the voice of the research staff community, taking ideas and concerns forward to the School Research Committee and University Research Staff working group.
- Research Seminars
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The School hosts a number of high-profile seminars during term time as part of the ESW Open Seminar Series. Research seminars, hosted by one of the School’s six research centres and presented by in-house as well as external speakers. Participation is free and the seminars are open to all. They are advertised on Broadcast, on the relevant research centre website and on our two Department websites, via posters in Essex House and via the plasma screen in Essex House reception.
The centres also run a range of other activities such as reading groups, impact events and training workshops. You’re warmly invited to get involved in these and other events, which are normally advertised on the School and Department mailing lists. Please contact centre directors if you have ideas for events or would like to get more involved with the work of any of the centres.
- Teaching
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Depending on your research funder, it is anticipated that research staff will be able to undertake a small amount of teaching, and or supervision activity (to be negotiated with the PI and Head of Department), to support their professional development. This may include one-off lectures, or supervision of undergraduate or masters dissertations.
Research staff new to teaching will be required to take the University’s ‘Starting to Teach’ module from their allocation of career development days.
- Printing, Office Space and Access to Essex House
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Printing
All Multi-Functional Devices (MFDs) located across the campus and in each building have a 'secure printing' facility. To use the new MFDs, you’ll need to load a new printer driver, as follows:
- Click the windows “Start” button
- Where it says “Search programs and files”, type in \\anuosprt01.uosprinting.com
- Double click on UoS_Secure_Print_Letter
- …wait for a couple of minutes…
- Double click on UoS_Secure_Print
- Close the windows that pop open.
- Probably set the new printer, UoS_Secure_Print as your default (once set up and ready to go) – On the Devices and Printers option.
- Then send all prints to this print queue, and you’ll be able to print on any of the MFDs
Workspace
You will be offered workspace by your Principal Investigator, in conjunction with the School Administrator. It is likely the space may be shared with other research staff colleagues.
Access to Essex House
The normal open hours of the building are 8.30am - 4.30pm on weekdays.
If you wish to gain access to Essex House outside these hours you must record your presence and notify the University Security Services office:
- call (01273) 678234
- email security@sef.fm
This is so security staff know to try to find you in the event of an emergency. Sussex Estates and Facilities operates a 24-hour a day, 365 days a year security service for the University.
On leaving, please check that the door of the office you were using is locked and all lights are turned off.
- End of Contract Support
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As you approach the end of your contract, you should arrange a meeting with your line manager (usually your PI) to discuss your next steps. You should also discuss your training and development needs and longer term career plans (looking beyond the end of your contract) as part of your reflections and discussions with your line manager in your Achievement and Development Review (ADR). You can also discuss with your mentor and/or reflect on your next steps in your IRP.
You will be formally notified by HR when your contract is coming to an end. If you would like more specialised or specific advice, you can make an appointment with HR (hradmin.esw@sussex.ac.uk) who can also talk to you about the University's redeployment procedure.