Current Research Culture Projects
Seven workstreams work in parallel to advance our research culture.
The seven workstreams in the Research Culture Action Plan 2026-2029 are outlined in brief below. Find the full action plan here.
Research culture is a complex concept and the Research Culture Team's ongoing work to deliver the seven University of Glasgow project workstreams requires us to work in partnership with many other teams and colleagues across the university.
The Research Culture Team’s key allies are the Researcher Development Team, the Research Integrity Team, the Research Information Management Team (Open Research). We also work together with our research communities via the Research Culture Commons. The Lab for Academic Culture ensures connectivity and alignment across university strategies and strategic projects.
Questions about the workstreams can be directed to Dr Rachel Herries, Research Culture Manager: Rachel.Herries@gla.systa-s.com.
1. Build Culture Connections
Build Culture Connections, creating opportunities for connection, consultation, agency, and feedback through enabling structures, communities and platforms. We will,
- Emphasise the strategic importance of research culture work.
- Grow and connect research culture focused communities.
- Continue to engage in sector wide dialogues and work collectively.
We create opportunities for consultation, agency and feedback through enabling structures communities and platforms. We lead a number of communities for Glasgow's PGRs, Researchers, Research Fellows, Research Leaders, Research Professionals.
The Research Culture Commons exists to allow every person interested in building a better Research Culture to connect to others for conversations about research culture, to share ideas, insights and resources to help us to confidently fulfil our role, and to devise solutions to the challenges that we face.
The Lab for Academic Culture provides a connecting structure for relevant projects across University Services and strategies and offers ongoing challenge and critique. The
2. Support Career Development
Support Career Development, raising career awareness, agency and success through a framework of activities and initiatives. We will,
- Expand our suite of career development initiatives.
- Expand expert networks, increase capability and foster mobility between sectors.
- Ensure effective policies and practices relevant to research-funded employment.
Pathfinder is the name for all University of Glasgow initiatives, activities and events supporting researchers with career awareness, options, planning, and transition. Pathfinder is a collaboration between specialist developers, careers professionals, academics, alumni, and employers, and aims to ensure the best support is available to you, as you navigate your career, your way. Access all of the Pathfinder events, workshops, and opportunities here.
3. Recognise Research Professional Staff
Recognise Research Professional Staff, building connection, recognition, visibility and career development for research professionals. We will,
- Expand our suite of development initiatives for research professionals.
- Increase the visibility and recognition of research professionals.
- Encourage and support research professionals to take part in practice-based research.
- Contribute to sector activity to increase the visibility and value of research professionals.
'Research Professionals' are colleagues whose role directly or indirectly supports research activities at the University of Glasgow, including those for whom this forms only part of their role. The Research Professional Staff Network connects Research Professionals across the university and offers development opportunities where they can come together to share the experiences, knowledge and expertise that enable them to work together to support Glasgow's research ambitions.
4. Strengthen Research Integrity and Research Ethics
Strengthen Research Integrity and Research Ethics, committing to providing an environment that ensures our research is conducted to the highest quality standards. We will,
- Expand our suite of development initiatives for Research Integrity and Research Ethics.
- Grow and connect Research Integrity and Research Ethics focused communities.
- Continue to contribute to sector activity to support Research Integrity and Research Ethics.
The Research Integrity Team lead on training, Research Misconduct Research Integrity training, and a rolling annual campaign linked to the Code of Good Practice in Research.
For questions related to the Glasgow's approach to Research Ethics, please contact Dr Rachel Smilie, Senior Operations Manager in Research Services: rachel.smilie@gla.systa-s.com
5. Value Open Research
Value Open Research, making it easy to share research early and widely throughout the different stages of the research process. We will,
- Expand our suite of development initiatives for Open Research.
- Grow and connect Open Research focused communities.
- Continue to contribute to sector activity to support Open Research.
The Research Information Management Team Lead on Open Research projects including training, resource sharing, and one-to-one support. The benefits of open research (including but not limited to Open Access) include improved visibility of research, greater transparency and reproducibility, enhanced opportunities for collaboration, earlier claim to ideas, and improved public confidence in research. To find out more you can watch this Video Introduction to Open Research at Glasgow
6. Advance Responsible Recognition and Assessment
Advance Responsible Recognition and Assessment, committing to the recognition of varied contributions to a diverse range of research activities and outputs. We will,
- Expand our suite of development initiatives for Responsible Recognition and Assessment.
- Grow and connect Responsible Recognition and Assessment focused communities.
- Contribute to sector activity to support Responsible Recognition and Assessment.
The University of Glasgow has been a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) since 2020. By endorsing DORA, the University affirms its commitment to responsible research assessment and to reducing the inappropriate use of journal-based metrics in decisions relating to hiring, tenure and promotion, reinforcing that the content of a research output is much more important than publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which it was published. This commitment reflects the University’s broader ambition to recognise the full range of research contributions and to ensure that assessment practices are fair and transparent across institutional processes.
7. Develop Research Leadership
Develop Research Leadership, supporting the development and success of our research leaders to build a positive, collegial and engaging research culture. We will,
- Recognise the critical role that research leaders play in establishing engaging, fair, and collegial cultures.
- Support and develop research leaders to establish an engaging, fair, and collegial culture.
- Contribute to sector activity to support good practice in research leadership.
Research Leaders (Principal Investigators and Postgraduate Supervisors) have a high degree of responsibility for building a positive, collegial and engaging research culture. We support their success. A full framework of development for Research Leades can be found here.
Research Staff Leavers Survey [leavers only]
In order to support Glasgow's researchers to thrive and develop their careers we have developed the Research Staff Leavers Survey. This gives you a way to tell us all about your experiences at Glasgow. Your feedback will help us evaluate and strengthen the support and development opportunities available to Research Staff, by working strategically with people across the university, including in Colleges and School. We are grateful for your insights and contributions as a UofG Research Staff.
Feedback on the researcher experience at Glasgow (which is always anonymous, and will be aggregated before reporting) will help us gather the evidence to strategically strengthen the support available to Research Staff. We would like to understand your experiences in your own words and are grateful for your insights and contributions through the survey.
Complete the Research Staff Leavers Survey
Please reach out to us at researchculture@gla.systa-s.com if you have any questions.
Career Connections Register
The Career Connections Register is a database of individuals who hold PhDs and who have moved beyond their postdoc role, into a wide range of careers. Maintaining an active list of expert contacts enables us to create modern career development opportunities, for a range of next destinations. Working with people in those roles means that insights are real, up to date, meaningful and valuable to our current researchers.
This is a secure, GDPR compliant, unpublished database, searchable only by the Research Culture and Researcher Development Team.
Choosing to be a part of the Career Connections Register means that you are willing to share your experience and expertise to help other researchers who are planning a career change. We may connect with you in the future to ask you to act as an advisor to the team, a mentor to our researchers, a speaker at a careers event, or to provide a written or video career story. Before including you in any future activity, we would seek your explicit permission. Where guidance or training is required, we would provide this to you.
Add yourself to the Career Connections Register. We are very grateful for your support.
Contact researchculture@gla.systa-s.com to discuss ongoing work at the University of Glasgow, to ask questions, or to find out more about how we can support you.
Before making a request, and so we can direct you to the right team, please read about how we partner across the university to work in alignment with other key teams and individuals.