Hello everyone

Welcome to this issue of the Sussex Researcher, I hope you are all having an enjoyable and productive summer so far. We were very pleased to receive news this month that the developments made to support Sussex researchers have been recognised once again by the European Commission's HR Excellence in Research Award. To continue to build on this achievement we have some set out some ambitious plans to implement over the next two years to continue to improve the support you receive for your career development, so watch this space and please keep giving us your feedback and suggestions.

We have reached the end of the first year of research staff development workshops and events. Many thanks to all of you that have participated in the workshops and provided your feedback; hopefully you have found them useful. We are putting together the programme for next year, which will include opportunities to attend workshops that you missed last year and also some new workshops for the 15/16 year.

We are pleased to now be able to offer 1:1 coaching for any member of research staff. See the article below for more information about how you might be able to benefit from this confidential service, I hope that some of you will take up this opportunity.

Best wishes,

Natalie James (Research Staff Officer, Research and Enterprise)

At this time of year we have a break from training and development workshops and are working hard to put together the programme of events for the next academic year.

The 15/16 Research Staff Development Series programme information will be available towards the end of August and bookings for autumn term events will open at the beginning of September.

If you have suggestions for workshops/events that you would like to be on the programme please send them to researchstaffoffice@sussex.ac.uk.

On the 13th July we were pleased to receive confirmation that the University of Sussex has successfully retained the European Commission HR Excellence in Research Award for its work in enhancing institution-wide career development support for research staff. The award recognises good practice by employers in supporting the professional development of researchers. In the UK this means demonstrating clear actions to ensure the implementation of the seven key principles of the UK Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers.

To retain the award (originally obtained by Sussex in May 2013), the University had to review and demonstrate progress against the actions identified in the 2013 submission. A new two-year 'Concordat Implementation Plan' for the 2015-17 period was also developed and identifies 36 key actions to further develop and enhance the University's support for the research staff community in line with the principles of the Concordat.

Feedback and input from researchers was instrumental in securing the award and informing the plans for the next two years and included: input from Research Staff Representatives, CROS survey outcomes, Training and Development Survey outcomes and suggestions received at various meetings and focus groups with researchers conducted over the last 18 months. Thank you to all of you that have shared your views with us and provided the ideas and evidence we need to keep pushing for improvements to the support for researchers' careers and professional development.

Full news story

Back in March, 41% of you contributed your views the nationwide Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS 2015). Following analysis of the results and a comparison with the 2013 Sussex responses and 2015 national aggregated responses, a summary of the key findings from your responses is now available on the University's CROS webpage.

The outcomes illustrate some significant improvements, particularly with respect to training and development, communications, visibility of postdoctoral issues, recruitment, induction and appraisal. However, the survey has also highlighted areas where more work is required, including: promotion/progression, support for well-being at work, equality and diversity. Your responses will help formulate proposals for improvements in those areas where Sussex did not score so well.

A full report will be considered by the relevant university committees early in the Autumn Term and recommendations will be developed in light of those discussions and in consultation with Research Staff Representatives. The full report and recommendations will be made available later in the year.

In the meantime we would welcome your comments and suggestions based on the outcomes; please send these to researchstaffoffice@sussex.ac.uk

Research fellows were among the winners in every category of last month's inaugural Sussex Impact and Research Awards. The new awards, divided into three categories (Enabling Impact; Achieving Impact; and Emerging Researcher) celebrated the impact of Sussex research and the achievements of early-career researchers.

• Dr Catriona McLeish (Senior Research Fellow, SPRU), Dr James Revill (Research Fellow, SPRU) and Rachael Durrant (Research Fellow, SPRU), were among the winners in the Enabling Impact category that celebrates engagement activity likely to lead to impact of reach and significance.
• Dr Roberto Camerani (Research Fellow, SPRU) was one of the winners of the Achieving Impact Award which recognises reach and significance of impact that has been achieved.
• Dr Louise Newnham (Research Fellow, Genome Damage and Stability Centre) was one of the recipients of the Emerging Researcher Award that recognises the achievement of excellent research from individuals in the early stages of their research career.

Research fellows were also well represented amongst the award nominees with a total of 21 research fellows nominated for an Impact Award; demonstrating the critical contributions that research fellows make to the impact of University of Sussex Research. Congratulations go to all winners and nominees.

Full news story

Are you looking to advance professionally, but not sure of your next step? Do you want to improve your working relationships or your productivity? Are you looking to make a change in your work/life but not sure where to start?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above or are keen to have a confidential discussion about a work/professional development related issue, then a 1:1 coaching appointment could be for you.

Coaching is used in organisations throughout the world to help support people as they work to identify and achieve professional and personal goals. It can be useful if you are at a point where you are considering what your options might be for the future or if you are working towards achieving a specific goal e.g. promotion, progression, gaining independent funding. It is also useful if you are struggling with a particular issue or challenge in your professional life.

1:1 coaching appointments with a qualified coach are now available for any member of research staff. Sessions are free, completely confidential and will last between 1-1.5 hours. Depending on your requirements you may opt for a one-off appointment or a series of coaching sessions. Using a non-judgemental and solutions focussed approach, your coach will work with you to find courses of action that are appropriate to your individual circumstances and will support you in overcoming challenges and achieving your goals.

To find out more about coaching or to book an appointment, contact N.A.James@sussex.ac.uk

If you have ever wondered 'what else could I do with my career?'. If so, take a look at the helpful new resource from Vitae that has come from the 'what do research staff do next?' project.

There is a new Library of Career Stories from former research staff from a wide variety of disciplines that decided to pursue careers outside of academic research. The researchers describe what led them to make a change, what their new jobs involve and how they have managed the ups and downs of transitioning from academia to their new career.

All research staff are entitled to an appraisal. The 2015 appraisal round is currently in progress, so if you have not yet had an appraisal meeting, make sure you request one from your PI/manager. Appraisal is an excellent opportunity to discuss not only your progress with your research objectives, but to also have an open discussion about your career development and future aspirations.

To support the appraisal process, new forms and best practice guidance have been developed specifically for researchers.

• Download research staff appraisal forms and best practice guidance here.

(Appraisal schedules are determined by School so check with your school office for information about when your appraisal should be completed by)

If applying for funding, remember to check funders' eligibility criteria carefully and discuss the opportunity with your host institution/department prior to preparing any applications.

These enable early-career scientists in the UK to build an independent research career in any area of the life and physical sciences. Fellowships are awarded for five years, but extensions may be awarded for three additional years. Awards include a maximum salary of £38,166 per year and research expenses of up to £13,000 for the first year and up to £11,000 for every year thereafter.

Deadline for applications: 3rd September 2015

More information

The Cascade-Fellows Cofund programme is inviting applications from Experienced Researchers in the Life Sciences under their fourth and final call for proposals. The programme co-funds researchers:

• With a PhD or equivalent research experience
• Working outside their home country (Marie Curie mobility rules apply)
• For 12-24 month research projects in any area of Life Sciences

The fellowships provide 40% funding for competitive salaries plus a contribution to research costs, with host organisations meeting the remaining 60% from any non-EU funding source. The programme expects to fund up to 8 fellowships with a variety of Host Organisations.

Deadline for applications: 14th August 2015

More information

The Münster Graduate School of Evolution (MGSE) is an interdisciplinary Graduate School bridging the faculties of biology, medicine, geosciences, philosophy and mathematics, using the concept of Evolution as a unifying conceptual framework. They are always looking for internationally outstanding scientists to work at MGSE for 1 to 6 months and join the Evolution Think Tank (ETT) as ETT-Fellows.

ETT-Fellows work with the doctoral students and PIs of the MGSE on interdisciplinary projects and will thereby contribute to the advancement of evolutionary theory. MGSE offers funding for travel and accomodation of ETT-Fellows and a stipend to cover extra expenses

More information and how to apply

If you have an article or information you would like included in The Sussex Researcher please send it to N.A.James@sussex.ac.uk