N8-European Research Culture Observatory

Driving improved research impacts by sharing best practice on healthy and productive research cultures across the UK and Europe.

The N8-European Research Culture Observatory is a joint venture supported by the N8 and the Science and Innovation Network,  bringing together researchers from across the UK and Europe to share their best practices for a healthy research culture.

The Observatory was formed following a workshop with academics from Western Europe, hosted by the N8 and the UK Science and Innovation Network in Manchester, in March 2023.

Following the publication of the UK Research People and Culture Strategy in 2021, the UK Science and Innovation Network and the N8 Research Partnership have been working together to identify opportunities to share research culture learning and practices. The partners in the observatory would like to see a research culture in Western Europe and the UK, that:

• embeds common values and principles and is open and inclusive in its funding schemes, impact routes, researcher profiles, career trajectories and international networks
• is open to sharing about research and innovation practice, explicitly acknowledging challenges

This is so that we can:

• have a more original, productive, transformative, collaborative, and impactful research and innovation system
• attract talented people and enable them to flourish