Enhancing the research staff experience and fostering a sense of community and positive research culture

The PFDC provides year-round opportunities for research staff to come together, celebrates a diverse community of researchers and supports their journey during their time at Imperial.

PFDC Strategic Actions 

Current:

• Supporting research culture by conducting research projects that inform not only PFDC practice, but also a research staff strategy that enhances the researchers experience while at Imperial.
• Fostering a sense of community for research staff at Imperial through networking events and tackling isolation.
• Supporting new group leaders through leadership networks and peer mentoring programmes.
• Working with PFDC postdoc and fellow representatives to support departmental communities, provide a network to share good practice, and a consultative forum to include the postdoc and fellow voice in university initiatives.
• Providing collaborative funds which encourage cross departmental work, support researcher’s ideas, build networks, and develop the future research leaders.
• Maintaining networks of special interest for researchers (e.g. careers contacts database and enterprise network)
• Supporting academic and research managers of research staff in fostering a positive, inclusive, and growing research culture and environment in their groups through collaborating with the Postdoc and Fellows Champions and POD to develop resources informed by researcher development projects (e.g. The Academic’s Success Guide).

Future: 

• Support departmental mentoring schemes for both transition points (PhDs/Postdocs/Fellows/Academics) and personal/professional development (leadership, support, career).
• Support international staff settle within the research environment of the UK.
• More active support for promotions – research job family and academic job family via facilitated peer mentoring / coaching cohorts.