Calling all researchers: nominate your group or your PI for an award
Do you work with a great research group, or a great PI? You can nominate them for the 2024 Research Culture Celebration, to be held on 30 September at Kettle’s Yard. Categories include: leadership, concern for professional development, recognition and reward, wellbeing management and support, and inclusive practice Find out more
Want to tell us more about your own research journey? Your Research, Your Voice asks researchers to respond to a short writing prompt on an aspect of their experience and earn a £5, £10 or £20 voucher to thank them for their time. It is open to postdocs and to PIs. Find out more
What is research culture?
Research culture is the environment in which our researchers operate. There are around 4000 early career researchers (ECRs) at Cambridge and they are a critical part of the research ecosystem, making a huge contribution to our research, learning and teaching.
A positive research culture, where researchers feel valued for their contributions, supported with their challenges and encouraged in their development, is not just good for ECRs: it is good for everyone. Students, other academics, funding bodies, and the overall academic and social mission of the University all benefit when researchers are able to give their best.
Investigating and improving research culture
The project Action Research on Research Culture (ARRC) is an international research project led by the University of Cambridge that is testing practical approaches to improving research culture, with the aim of producing guidance and resources that can be used by institutions across the sector. Topics it is investigating include: the use of narrative CVs, researchers’ professional identities and expectations, and experiences of precarity and redeployment. Learn more about the project’s work
The 2024 Research Culture Celebration is part of ARRC’s investigation into the experiences, identities and expectations of researchers at Cambridge. By submitting a nomination, you are both recognising colleagues for their positive contributions and helping to broaden our understanding of the current state of research culture at Cambridge.
As well as the initiatives above, the team is currently running a project called My Postdoc Journey, asking for online diary entries that capture the experiences of first-time postdocs at Cambridge. Find out more