The Centre for Research Staff Development (CRSD) provides professional development support for research staff to achieve their potential, before, during and after their time at King’s, with active support from the most senior staff in the university.
The CRSD also actively supports research staff networks that operate across King’s, both at faculty and divisional level and maintains two-way communication with research staff, ensuring that it provides key information about events, careers, funding, and training and that research staff have platforms to contribute their views and feedback.
Research Staff at King’s are postdoctoral staff, research assistants, technicians and teaching fellows, in fact all those other than PhD students who are engaged in research and who do not yet have an independent, permanent academic or managerial position.
Download a copy of our brochure to learn more about who we are and how we support research staff.
The CRSD works with research staff and on behalf of research staff at King's in several ways:
- Community - We facilitate and support an active, engaged research staff community and ensure there are opportunities for you as researchers to contribute to how King's operates.
- Careers - We encourage you as research staff to consider and prepare for your future career throughout your contract. We have a qualified careers consultant on the team to assist you with your career plans, whatever they may be.
- Courses - We deliver professional workshops and events that enhance your skills and improve your understanding of how best to approach your future.
- Communications - We provide high quality, timely information regarding opportunities within and outside of King's and information about what is happening in the Higher Education sector more generally.
- Concordat - Your professional development at King's is influenced by the Concordat, a national agreement that sets out standards and responsibilities of the university and researchers. King's aims to exceed these standards.
Concordat & HR Excellence in Research Award
The revised Concordat was launched on 12th September 2019. The Concordat outlines a set of key principles which underpin the working conditions and career development opportunities that should be offered to research staff and defines responsibilities of researchers in achieving their own potential.
King's is committed to delivering the principles of the Concordat. Some of these principles include:
- 10 days pro rata per year allocation to engage with professional development
- Increased emphasis on planning for careers not just within academia, but also beyond academia supported by funders and King's
- Encouragement to develop research identity and broader leadership skills
The European Commission's HR Excellence in Research Award is made in recognition of a demonstrated commitment to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers.
King's is fully committed to these issues and has held the award since 2012, recently renewing it for 2018-20. The development opportunities offered by the Centre are instrumental to King's support for research staff and aim to fulfil the principles of the Concordat.
Download the review and new action plan produced in Jan 2018, reviewing key achievements and progress made since 2016, and containing a new action plan for 2018-20.