Established (Mid-Career) Researchers

The N8 Research Culture and Environment Group (N8 RCE) identified mid-career researchers as the ‘forgotten middle’ and part of the Research Culture ‘jigsaw’ where the N8 universities could add value by working together.

‘Mid-career’ researchers are a broad and diverse set of people with correspondingly diverse needs and challenges, often forgotten. They are at a point where they have established themselves as independent researchers and have delivered significant research outputs. They are bringing in grant funding and undertaking peer review for funders and journals.

But they also face complex and systemic challenges in the workplace, which they must navigate while also finding the time and energy for responsibilities and pursuits beyond work. Many of the support structures that were there earlier in their career have fallen away.

The N8 Research Partnership made a collective commitment in May 2024 to advance the culture and environment for established (mid-career) researchers who make vital contributions to each of our institutions. The statement – the first of its type from a UK academic consortium – was developed as a response to findings from a workshop held in March 2023.

Read our statement on support (pdf) Read the 2023 workshop report (pdf)

 

N8 Statement on Support for Established (Mid-Career) Researchers

This statement sets out our collective commitment to advance the culture and environment for established (mid-career) researchers who make vital contributions to each of our institutions.

Mid-career is a term in general use to describe a professional stage in which you have earned experience and expertise but still have many years left in your career.

For clarity, for the purposes of this statement and our collective commitment to these researchers, we have defined an established (mid-career) researcher as a researcher who:

  • has established an independent research reputation;
  • has not yet attained the status of Professor.

We have around 10,000 researchers in this career stage within the N8 universities, each having individual needs for challenge and support. We recognise a range of diverse pathways, career trajectories and aspirations; and that entering UK academia as an established (mid-career) researcher, for example as an international scholar or from sectors beyond academia, can be challenging.

We commit to the following:

  1. We will work together to redefine the language around the mid-career, with the aims of talking about this career stage in a way that reflects the achievement of someone reaching this stage; recognises the increasing opportunity to take on additional roles and responsibilities; using positive and aspirational language; and values their diversity of career pathways and lived experiences.
  2. We will adopt and communicate a common understanding of the competencies of, challenges facing and opportunities for established researchers. We will work with other stakeholders across the sector, including other university groups, funders and the learned societies to communicate in a consistent way with and about researchers in this career stage.
  3. We will work with established (mid-career) researchers in each of our universities to ensure that resources and funding opportunities are clearly signposted to them. We will ensure that internal funding schemes are designed with an understanding of their needs, and will work with funders and learned societies to support funding opportunities for researchers in this career stage.
  4. We will enhance our targeted training and development offer for established (mid-career) researchers, taking into account the context of their needs and experiences. We will improve the visibility and communication of this offer to further enhance their careers and enable them to realise their potential.
  5. We will review the suggested activities that might make up a support package for established (mid-career) researchers and recommend actions that can be taken in the short and medium term. We will provide more opportunities for established researchers to form peer-to-peer support networks within our universities and we will consider how best to provide targeted support for those entering UK academia at this career stage.
  6. We will ensure that promotion and progression pathways are transparent, inclusive and equitable. We will provide opportunities to enable established (mid-career) researchers to progress in their careers in a way that realises their own ambitions, as well as maximising their contribution to institutional goals.
  7. We will raise the profile of the N8 Research Partnership within each of our universities and in particular to researchers in this career stage who can benefit significantly from opportunities to collaborate.