action plan for fostering research culture

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Our research culture action plan is based on what we've heard so far from our research community. This includes everyone who contributes to our research, enhancing its quality and reach.

• Newcastle University
• Our Research
• Research Culture

Evolving and adapting

This is a living plan , that will continue to evolve and adapt, through:

• continuing conversations and collaborations with our research community
• learning what works and what doesn’t
• taking opportunities to work with external partners or respond to emerging challenges

We will be open about these changes and regularly update on our progress. 

Organised around people's experiences

We're organising the plan around building people's experiences, so that everyone can:

We want to ensure our research community has time to:

• nurture creativity
• solve problems
• pursue professional development opportunities
• develop strong collaborations

Releasing quality time is one of our priority action areas for 2022/23 .

• improve the efficiency of systems and processes, and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy
• understand ‘what works’ to help release quality time in the University
• promote the adoption of successful activities across the organisation
• reduce unnecessary meeting time and promote more agile ways of working
• support development opportunities for individuals/teams through our ‘Enhancing Research Culture: People Fund’
• promote and embed 10 days of professional developmen t for researchers and technicians
• develop a searchable database to help people find collaborators and interdisciplinary events
• seek to use accessible spaces (physical/digital) to help creativity, networking and collaboration
• enhance research and teaching synergy
• understand and tackle deeper cultural issues that will give people more quality time

We want our research community to have opportunity for:

• meaningful career conversations
• training opportunities

These should underpin personal and professional development for research-active and research-enabling careers.

• deliver the Skills Academy as a ‘one stop shop’ for training provision for everyone
• review and build on existing training offer to address current and future need
• establish communities of practice to foster skills and knowledge exchange
• map out and consider new career pathways that reduce precarity and retain core skills
• develop a University-wide bridging policy for colleagues employed on external funding
• be one of the first partners for  Prosper in 2023, unlocking post-docs’ potential to thrive across a range of career pathways
• review and develop career development programmes for early and mid-career academics
• better equip professional colleagues to connect their roles to internal processes/systems, and the external research landscape
• roll out new annual appraisal process to frame positive career conversations across all job roles
• promote existing career mentoring schemes, and explore new opportunities for improving our current offer around research and innovation

We want everyone to feel:

• part of our research community
• their voices and ideas are heard
• they are offered equal opportunities to progress and succeed

We want our people to feel ‘safe to fail’ in a culture that views failure as a valuable part of the learning process.

We want to embed equality, diversity and inclusion in all research processes and practices.

Tackling inappropriate behaviour and building inclusive leadership is a priority action area for 2022/23.

• develop a preventative approach to discriminatory and inappropriate behaviour
• build on our ‘Leading Through Values’ programme to enhance psychological safety and performance
• translate our ‘Newcastle University Behaviour Framework’ into the research context
• publish and promote an online equality, diversity and inclusion toolkit for research leaders
• review membership of decision-making committees in research with a view to diversify representation
• improve transparency of decision making in internal funding processes and provide useful feedback
• develop research culture training to embed into inductions
• create a culture that normalises and embraces failure as a valuable part of the learning process
• continue to consult and use evidence to inform new actions to increase diversity and inclusion in research

We want our research community to embrace new opportunities. These would be offered through open research practices. We want to make research more transparent and reproducible.

We want to encourage and support people to:

• apply the best research practices in their area of work
• embrace opportunities to learn new methods and approaches to open up new research questions
• develop, deliver and promote harmonised state-of-the-art training in Open Research as an active partner of the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN)
• pilot and test DMPOnline as a tool to promote good practice in data management across the research life cycle
• review and update existing and develop new policies around research conduct
• promote the use of ORCID and its consistent use across internal systems
• UKRN Local Network activities#
• funding short projects to promote ethics and integrity
• ReproducibiliTea Journal Club
• a Research Ethics Seminar Series
• establish champions to facilitate and support uptake of good research practices
• catalyse ‘team research’ to foster more collaborative working across disciplines and job roles

We want all members of our community to:

• appreciate the diverse contributions colleagues and students make to our research
• feel encouraged to excel

We intend to clarify how we define and evaluate research quality as an organisation. We want to provide incentives that encourage positive behaviours and an inclusive culture.

Career progression and rewards is one of our priority action areas for 2022/23.

• embed responsible evaluation of research into internal processes, including recruitment, progression, and promotion
• develop training resources for the whole research community to enable responsible evaluation
• work to widen definitions of research excellence and feed this into rewards
• ensure rewards strike the right balance between recognising individual and collaborative successes
• develop guidelines for crediting authorship and contributions, and endorse use of  CRediT taxonomy
• ensure all colleagues can be PIs on internal funding opportunities to build research culture
• recognise and celebrate the contributions of different members of our research community

Research Cultures Action Plan

The University of Edinburgh’s Research Cultures Action Plan has now been published on the Research staff hub.

This action plan sets out how, as an institution, the University aims to foster a culture where researchers are encouraged, supported and recognised.

Research sits at the core of the University’s mission, forming one of the four pillars in Strategy 2030. The University uses research to advance knowledge and change the world for the better.

Read the Research Cultures Action Plan

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What is Research Culture?

Research cultures are built on the values, expectations and behaviours that shape how we support, deliver and communicate our research.

Research cultures are built and maintained by the actions, interactions, behaviours and processes that we all encounter and perform while undertaking or supporting research.  These cultures are felt and influenced by us at individual, team, department, university and wider discipline level.  Research cultures can be experienced differently at each level and within each discipline, which is why University of Edinburgh's approach acknowledges that we experience and contribute to multiple research cultures, and that a University the size of Edinburgh will have many research cultures.

In recent years funders and policy makers have increased their interest in research culture, a broad agenda that covers individual and organisational culture; equality, diversity and inclusion; management practices and policies; research ethics and integrity; open research; research impact and how all these areas inter-relate with each other.  Although the term 'research culture' has gained prominence recently, University of Edinburgh has been engaged in improving aspects of our research culture for many years, for example through our committments to our Athena SWAN action plans and our  Open Research Roadmap .

• Research Cultures Action & Delivery Plan

In February 2023, University of Edinburgh published its first Research Cultures Action Plan.  More details can be found at the link below.

Funder & Policy Maker Views on Research Cultures

• UKRI | Research & Innovation Culture
• Wellcome | Research Culture
• Royal Society | Research Culture
• The Academy of Medical Sciences | Research Culture
• Vitae | Research Culture Framework
• Russell Group | Realising our Potential
• Universities UK | Research standards, ethics and culture

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7 ways to promote better research culture

Establishing support systems is essential for promoting research culture. Image:  REUTERS/Amir Cohen

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Stay up to date:.

The culture in UK research establishments is one of the reasons the country is an attractive and productive place to undertake research. If you want excellent research, you need a positive research culture that supports all individuals involved. Alongside national policies and programmes, local policies and the attitudes and behaviour of staff at all levels influences this.

An important aspect of research culture is an organization’s approach to research integrity – the formal and informal ethics, standards, protocols and policies researchers follow in their environment. Organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of the role of research integrity.

Enhancing research culture doesn’t require major effort and resources. Organizations across the UK and globally have made changes linked to integrity that have improved their research culture. These range from simple approaches such as using informal communication channels to nurture a supportive environment, discussing successes and “failures”, to embedding research integrity into the heart of institutional culture, requiring research leaders and senior administrators to lead by example.

Here are seven things that could help you promote good research integrity, and contribute to improving research culture, in your organization:

Facilitating open discussions can help foster a more collaborative environment, by giving researchers the chance to share their experiences of not only their successes, but also their “failures”. This helps to build respect and trust within the research team, by talking openly and giving support when things don’t always go right. The Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, based at the University of Bristol, have a range of different communication channels to support their work, with one focused specifically on “triumph and disaster”, which dispels the assumption that senior academics have had continuous successes to get to their esteemed positions.

Providing and promoting career counselling, coaching and support services available to staff may help to reduce pressures within a research environment, which is imperative to staff well-being. This can help in limiting stress and time pressures, and connect researchers to other resources available at their institution, such as forms for deadline extensions, assistance programmes, career services and mental health and well-being services. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center provides a career-counselling service solely to their scientists, providing the opportunity to discuss their career paths and the steps they need to take to progress.

Research teams could openly discuss, amend and build on existing guidelines, to develop a consensus on their collective and individual behaviours and attitudes. This could be used to develop a group standard or pledge, ensuring all team members are aware of what is expected in the research environment. This helps to enhance a positive culture by refining standards and “norms”. The Barcelona Biomedical Research Park developed a code of good scientific practice , which sets out the expectations of individuals and the collective research team.

Encourage researchers and support staff to find time and space to meet to share ideas and experiences. By involving other departments, institutions and sectors, discussions can focus on improving research integrity and culture, to share best practice on what has worked, what hasn’t and its impact. The Barcelona Biomedical Research Park is one example of where this has been put into practice.

Often seen as “role models” to their early-career peers, organization, department and team leaders who are at the forefront of promoting a positive research culture – such as by taking part in training, encouraging discussions to address difficult questions in an open and honest way and by having an open door policy – set a “norm” and redefine standards. Participants at the Royal Society ’s research culture workshops gave examples of leaders initiating small but impactful ways to set culture and improve morale in the workplace. An example of this is setting regular hours, to tackle the perception that only academics working extensive hours are successful.

Career progression is a key factor in retention and enhances not only the quality of research for the institution, but for the research community as a whole. Researchers can feel more valued if skills needs are reviewed individually and as a group, ensuring they all possess the necessary skills for their role, such as statistics, data-handling, proposal-writing and resource management. And following on from this, identifying gaps and offering courses for development. Software Carpentry developed such an initiative, by running training workshops at the University of Florida, to increase the data literacy of university staff.

Highlight the importance of research culture and engage all staff across the organization by hosting a research culture and integrity day. Presentations, workshops and panel discussions could be given from across the organization. Different departments could showcase the ways they have improved research culture and integrity, as well as addressing areas where there is still room for improvement. The University of Nevada organised an “Ignite Integrity week” where all staff were encourage to participate in activities to discuss good practice.

Research culture is pivotal to research excellence; we are at the beginning of a conversation round promoting this idea. In Integrity in Practice, the Royal Society and the UK Research Integrity Office showcase examples of initiatives led by organizations from across the world to inspire and encourage innovation in research culture. The more research culture is talked about, the more progressive these discussions will become. So why not think about research culture within your institution and start the conversation on what positive improvements you can make, both collectively and as an individual.

• The Royal Society’s Integrity in Practice toolkit launched at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2018. The Code of Ethics , produced by the World Economic Forum Young Scientists Community, is profiled in Integrity in Practice.

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Eight ways your university can make research culture more open

Parveen Yaqoob and Robert Darby share eight actions institutions can take to foster a culture of research that is more accessible, transparent and reproducible

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Research often lacks full transparency and reproducibility, and poor research practices are increasingly picked up by the public, which is undermining trust in academia. Open research is research conducted with full transparency, in its design, methods and communication of outputs. Research practices that are “open” improve research quality and integrity, reuse by others and value for money. They increase public trust in research and protect against fraud.

Open research is an area that most, if not all, agree is important. However, creating a culture of openness can be challenging, especially with many competing demands and practical challenges. For instance, how many of your institution’s research outputs share the supporting data and code ? Do your researchers always know how to identify and avoid questionable research practices ?

Achieving greater openness requires long-term culture change. Here are eight key actions your university can take to stimulate that process.

1. Join or establish a national reproducibility network

Since the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN) was founded , national reproducibility networks have been established in Australia, Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland, and the community is expanding. A reproducibility network is a peer-led consortium that promotes rigorous research practices through training and research improvement activities and dissemination of best practice and works with stakeholders to coordinate efforts across the sector.

Membership of the network requires the appointment of a senior academic as institutional lead, who reports to the pro vice-chancellor for research or equivalent and makes a minimum commitment of one day per week to the role. This ensures that open research has visible, high-level leadership within and outside the institution. If you do not have a national reproducibility network, consider setting one up .

2. Establish an open research working group

The working group should have the support of the pro vice-chancellor for research, or their equivalent, and should be led by a senior open research champion. It should include representation from your university’s professional services and the research community. The UKRN coordinates a  network of open research working groups and provides guidance on how to set one up.

3. Create an action plan

An action plan, encompassing some of the actions proposed here and setting out measurable objectives to be achieved over a defined period, can give strategic direction to institutional effort. It can be a vehicle for securing engagement with open research objectives, bringing stakeholders and activities into strategic alignment, and obtaining resource to support activities.

4. Publish an open research statement

A number of UK universities have adopted statements of commitment to the principles and aims of open research . These articulate strategic objectives for the institution as a whole and expectations of researchers, and may be supported by explanatory information, links to relevant policies and practical guidance on using open practices. The process of developing and consulting on a statement brings an opportunity to engage the research community and secure buy-in from key stakeholders.

5. Run an open research competition

An open research award can celebrate best practice and incentivise researchers to identify and value their own open practices. Several universities have organised such competitions, and the UKRN has published a primer on running an open research award competition .

6. Develop an open research champions network

Institutions can cultivate allies in the research community who model good practice, amplify communications and propagate knowledge and skills within local networks. Examples of institutional programmes include the Cambridge Data Champions , Reading’s Open Research Champions , and York’s Open Research Advocates network . In the Netherlands, an Open Science Communities network has evolved and is spreading internationally. Champions can be supported with funding for activities, such as organising workshops and training, attending courses and events, and participating in open-research-related projects.

7. Develop support for research software engineering

Programming is widely used in research to generate, process and analyse data, and is often critical to reproducibility, but many researchers lack formal training in how to use software or support from trained professionals, with consequences for research quality. In recent years, institutions have established research software engineering support and training for researchers. In the UK, the Society for Research Software Engineering works to increase software skills in research and to champion the role of research software engineer.

8. Introduce open research criteria into recruitment, promotion, assessment and reward processes

Reforming academic systems to incentivise the use of open practices is critical. Recruitment, advancement and reward frameworks should enable researchers to evidence use of open practices, and open research should be built into research planning and monitoring. Introducing open research criteria into systems and processes will be a substantive project that needs to be led at the highest level.

Frameworks that might be adapted for institutional use include the UKRN hiring policies certification scheme and the European Union’s Open Science Career Assessment Matrix (OS-CAM) , a modified version of which has recently been proposed as a national assessment framework in Norway .

The measures we outline here will not transform things overnight, but ongoing strategic action by institutions can gradually bring about the change in research culture that will drive up quality, integrity and reuse.

Parveen Yaqoob is pro vice-chancellor (research and innovation) and Robert Darby is research data manager, both at the University of Reading .

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week,  sign up for the Campus newsletter .

University of Reading Open Research Action Plan

Find out about joining or setting up a  national Reproducibility Network

See this blog post for a  list of UK universities that have adopted Open Research statements

UKRN primer on running an Open Research Award competition

University of Cambridge Data Champions

University of Reading Open Research Champions

University of York Open Research Advocates

Open Science Communities

Open Science Communities Starter Kit

Society for Research Software Engineering

UKRN Hiring Policies Certification Scheme

Open Science Career Assessment Matrix (OS-CAM)

NOR-CAM – a toolbox for recognition and rewards in academic careers

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Transforming research culture

We are making our university a more creative, inclusive, honest and open place to carry out research.

Our Transforming Research Culture Plan aims to ensure that a positive research culture is embedded in our research and innovation portfolio. It will bring together individuals working to enhance culture across the university and increase visibility and effectiveness in delivering change.

The proposal includes an increased focus on addressing systemic and structural issues affecting our researcher population. As well as, support for responsible research assessment, open research, integrity, and enhanced recognition for contributions of everyone involved in research.

Based on extensive consultation with colleagues involved in research from across the university, the proposal follows on from our involvement with the  Wellcome Trust’s ‘Reimagine Research’ initiative . There have also been wide discussions with stakeholders across the institution and input through our first institutional research culture survey, carried out in 2022.

Our  plan:

• recognises that positive culture is an ongoing process which requires strong buy-in from senior leaders, and from individuals across the university
• recognises that some issues will be more challenging and take time to address, in some cases also requiring action by external stakeholders
• brings together various commitments, action plans and strategies into one overarching research culture strategy
• is evidence-based and informed by the views of a wide range of stakeholders including senior leadership, researchers, as well as professional services colleagues supporting research
• is dynamic and agile and belongs to the entire research community
• shifts from a place of compliance to one of positive values-led behaviours

How we will achieve this

The plan aligns to four strategic priorities and related activities. The list below is not exclusive.

Strategy and governance

We have created an integrated research culture action plan, which will:

Policies and procedures

Training and support, visibility, recognition and reward.

• continue to garner input from researchers and those that support research from across the university, with a second wave of our research culture survey scheduled for 2025
• report to the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research Innovation and Enterprise and University Executive Board with updates on progress.

We will introduce:

• guiding principles for research culture to be publicised and disseminated to all schools, research teams and units
• review processes and procedures that support career development, equality, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism, and open and honest research
• a commitment to a positive research culture that is integrated into application processes for all internal funding schemes.

We will carry out reviews on current processes and ensure that:

• our training and support programmes are fit-for-purpose and promote positive research culture practices
• our researchers across the institution can access appropriate training and career development opportunities, aligned to our commitment to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers.

To ensure the recognition of contributions for everyone involved in research, we will:

• work to embed reward and recognition for positive research culture practice across promotions and hiring practices
• further develop our work on responsible research assessment
• extend ECR involvement in research decision-making
• promote and value career paths and opportunities for individuals outside of the ‘teaching and research’ pathway who play a vital role in ‘team research’.

Research culture survey

The research culture survey was open to all staff and postgraduate researchers and aimed to capture the experience of everyone involved in research at the university.

The Research Culture Development Group will consider how the survey's findings can help inform and update the priorities of our research culture action plan.

Read an executive summary of the report

Our Research Culture Development Group, chaired by Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, Dean of Research Environment and Culture, will be responsible for implementing the research culture action plan.

Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen

University Dean of Research Environment and Culture

Related documents

Research culture survey report 2023 executive summary.

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AHRC equality, diversity and inclusion action plan: research and innovation by everyone, for everyone

Foreword by professor melanie j welham, ukri executive champion for people, culture and talent.

Excellence in research and innovation requires a culture that values and supports different people, ideas and perspectives. Embracing the widest possible range of exceptional talent and skills will strengthen research and innovation and the ability to improve lives, helping to create a knowledge economy that benefits everyone and supports growth and prosperity.

In 2022 we ran a consultation on our draft equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy. We received a broad range of feedback and views. We have used this feedback, together with our long-term work across UKRI and extensive engagement across the research and innovation sector, to help us refine the strategy and develop a suite of action plans.

It is clear that a variety of approaches and interventions will be needed to create a more inclusive research and innovation system, where people, creativity, and ideas can flourish. The UKRI EDI strategy serves as a unifying framework, to which our suite of action plans are directly linked.

These action plans enable us to test, pilot and evaluate approaches in different contexts. Some will be system-wide, while others will be more focused. The plans are informed by data, insight and engagement with our communities. The action plans are living documents that will continue to evolve as we learn from ourselves and others. We will use our people, culture and talent portfolio approach to connect work across these action plans, actively sharing learning as we make progress.

Through this approach we are giving greater visibility of the work happening across UKRI to foster a research and innovation system ‘by everyone, for everyone’. We will continue to share our experiences, successes, and challenges as we develop and evolve our plans.

Foreword by Professor Christopher Smith, Executive Chair, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

Studying humanities means standing in awe of the diversity and complexity of our existence as human beings. The arts and humanities bring us closer to what it is to be a human. The differences between us are as essential to our flourishing, as prejudice and oppression are inimical.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are not optional extras. They are our moral imperatives and must run through everything we do and are.  Our EDI plan is at the core of AHRC’s vision.

We will drive up representation through our Peer Review College and our own organisation. We will rigorously pursue fairness and equity in the way we set up our grants. We will monitor the change that we make and present the result openly and transparently. And we will actively promote the value of arts and humanities research to, for, with and about everyone in our society, equally and equitably.

The measure of our success will be that those who research arts and humanities fully reflect the rich diversity of our human existence and contribute to a richer understanding of being human.

Introduction

AHRC is committed to promoting the values of equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusivity. This publication presents an updated equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) action plan for AHRC. It reaffirms our commitment to our EDI vision and priorities, published in April 2021, and is closely aligned with our strategic delivery plan and people plan.

The action plan was developed in the context of the first edition of the UKRI EDI strategy and holds the same overriding ambition to ‘foster a research and innovation system for everyone by everyone’, as stated by Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, Chief Executive of UKRI, in its foreword.

It is our view that arts and humanities disciplines depend on a diverse range of methods, viewpoints, subjects and approaches in order to continue to thrive and develop. As the Bonn Declaration puts it, freedom of scientific research is inseparable from a plurality of voices.

One important way to achieve this is through continuing to fund a diverse range of people and projects. We will work closely with UKRI colleagues to ensure EDI is embedded both at all levels of our organisation and in the portfolio of research that we fund and support. In doing so, we support our vision and contribute and benefit the research and innovation ecosystem.

As a UK public sector organisation, we are fully committed to our legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 legislation and the public sector equality duty. Our actions on internally-facing EDI work are also included in the UKRI EDI workforce plan and the AHRC people plan.

We are committed to actively listening, valuing and demonstrating respectful and inclusive behaviours to everyone who works for, and with, AHRC.

Vision statement

AHRC aims to:

• ensure a transparent, consistent and robust approach towards embedding good EDI practice in governance, decision-making, policies, practices and processes as both a funder of innovative research and as an employer in order to support our vision and priorities
• support and champion the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in arts and humanities research
• offer and advocate support for arts and humanities researchers from under-represented groups through the various stages of their research careers
• build a strong evidence base of EDI practice in arts and humanities research with stakeholders

EDI priorities

AHRC’s current equality, diversity and inclusion priorities are:

• further diversifying our Peer Review College and other decision-making structures to more accurately reflect the diversity of UK society
• understanding and addressing barriers to inclusion for applicants from under-represented groups across all our funding schemes and doctoral programmes
• recognising that many EDI issues are systemic and not specific to arts and humanities research, and so committing to collective working across UKRI on the wider structural EDI challenges faced by researchers, students and institutions
• ensuring AHRC is an inclusive employer and champions a diverse organisation

AHRC updated EDI action plan

AHRC published its first equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) action plan in April 2021. An updated EDI action plan has been developed in response to a review of this initial plan, as well as the UKRI EDI strategy, EDI workforce plan, and AHRC’s strategic delivery plan and people plan.

Our action plan is structured in alignment with the four key objectives set out in the UKRI draft EDI strategy. These objectives state that UKRI will:

• foster an inclusive research and innovation system
• advance equality and inclusion through our investments and how we work
• ensure that everyone who works for UKRI will feel included, valued and able to contribute and participate
• develop approaches to monitor, measure and evaluate change

With the aspiration that EDI will be embedded across AHRC in all that we do, the action plan has tangible links with AHRC’s strategic delivery plan and aspires to reflect the breadth of our investments and portfolio.

When we talk about diversity in the action plan, we do so with a holistic approach, as outlined in UKRI’s strategy 2022-2027 principles of change (see page 8) , which state that UKRI will ‘champion a creative and dynamic research and innovation system by supporting diversity of ideas, people, activities, skills and infrastructures’.

The updated action plan continues to position AHRC as an EDI-learning council. It demonstrates our commitment to learn, share good practice, mature our practice and policy, and place EDI at the core of everything we do. In doing so, we also set an example to those we work with and fund.

The action plan states our intentions to embed good EDI practice across our council in terms of governance, decision-making, policies, practices and processes. It states that EDI responsibility is the responsibility of every member of staff. In order for this to happen successfully, AHRC will ensure all employees feel supported and confident to embed EDI principles in their work schemes.

The action plan should be seen as a living document, where we monitor and review its importance and value.

Highlights of the action plan

Main highlights of the action plan are:

• commitment to nurture diverse talent pipeline via our doctoral funding programmes in order to support diverse talent needed for arts and humanities research to thrive
• co-commissioning of the EDI Caucus to inform and mature our EDI practice and policy
• build on the success of the last Peer Review College recruitment round, embedding key learnings in future recruitment rounds to ensure our decision-making is informed and enriched by diverse voices
• develop our grant management and awarding processes to ensure they are as inclusive as possible. We will improve our approach to conducting equality impact assessments (EIAs) for all new investments. We will identify opportunities to improve EDI on a funding opportunity-by-funding opportunity basis
• support staff in accessing EDI learning opportunities so AHRC colleagues feel confident in developing their EDI knowledge and understanding

AHRC’s monitoring, evaluation and learning strategy will inform our approach to how we monitor, measure and evaluate change

Find out more about the investments we reference in our EDI action plan in our strategic delivery plan .

Objective 1: Foster an inclusive research and innovation system

• support a diverse talent pipeline
• support inclusive progression pathways for diverse roles across research and innovation
• champion the development of diverse ideas, people, activities, skills and infrastructures
• co-fund the EDI Caucus to inform our EDI policy and practice
• provide opportunities and a platform for those in our community to share their learning and best practice

Nurture a diverse and inclusive talent pipeline. We will champion diverse cohorts of students within our doctoral investments

The difference it will make:

• increase accessibility of our doctoral programmes for all, regardless of background and career stage
• barriers to participation will be addressed, and inclusive practices and programmes developed

The change we want to see: diverse range of people, from different backgrounds and career stages, will be encouraged and supported to study at postgraduate level and embark on a career in research and innovation.

Near-term deliverables:

• respond to key findings of review of doctoral training partnerships by Careers Research Advisory Centre’s Vitae programme to develop and deliver AHRC’s future doctoral provision programme
• work with doctoral investments and advisory groups to ensure EDI good practice is being embedded and developed within EDI action plans
• work with UKRI colleagues from the Collective Talent Fund on the new deal for postgraduate research

Medium-term deliverables:

• delivery of future doctoral provision programme

Offer inclusive progression pathways for diverse roles across research and innovation. Support development of those working across the entirety of this ecosystem, within industry and academia and interdisciplinary research. Support different entry points for people in research and innovation

The difference it will make: meeting the skills development needs of a diverse workforce working across the research and innovation landscape.

The change we want to see: AHRC is supporting a diverse talent pipeline so everyone working in research and innovation can realise their potential and make meaningful contributions.

• AHRC and Research Libraries UK joint fellowships working with the Institute of Conservation
• early career research galleries, libraries, archives and museum fellowships
• innovation scholarships
• UK-US digital scholarship fellows
• support cross-council UKRI programmes, such as Future Leaders Fellowships scheme
• contribute to the delivery of the UKRI People and Teams Plan
• commit £1.1 million over three years for fellowships in public policy and the galleries, libraries, museums and archives sector
• investment of £7 million in the next three years in key leadership roles to connect ideas, sectors and geographies
• commitment to cross-council, interdisciplinary and strategic investments in infrastructure, place, health and humanities, innovation scholars, and international

Support and champion the development of diverse ideas, people, activities, skills and infrastructures on which the research and innovation landscape depends

• continue to realise the significance and value of interdisciplinary research
• deepened links between industry and academia
• encourage a wider and more diverse research and innovation community to apply for AHRC funding

The change we want to see:

• a diverse range of people, organisations and sectors who contribute to the arts and humanities research and innovation landscape are acknowledged and empowered to apply for AHRC funding, and they contribute to the research and innovation landscape in significant and meaningful ways
• skills gaps are being addressed
• responsible artificial intelligence ecosystem
• mobilising community assets against health disparities
• Future Observatory: Design the Green Transition
• creative industries
• contribute to the delivery of UKRI’s Technician Commitment action plan
• invest £16 million in the next three years through the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science Fund to improve innovation in the culture and heritage sectors
• launch new £15 million creative research capability awards
• development of a new national infrastructure for digital innovation and curation, investing £8 million in the next three years
• development and delivery of £75.6 million CoSTAR investment over next six years

We will fund primary research and knowledge exchange activities aligned to EDI as a theme through the co-commissioning of the EDI Caucus

The difference it will make: we will be able to plan our approach to EDI founded on a robust, academically informed evidence base.

• decision-making is informed by research and evidence
• EDI as a theme will run through all our investments
• support the delivery of the caucus by contributing to steering group
• ensure key learning outcomes are communicated at all stages of the project to inform EDI decision-making, process and policy

Medium-term deliverables: ensure learnings are embedded into EDI policy and practice.

We will provide support, opportunities and a platform for those in our community to share their EDI learning and good practice

The difference it will make: We will raise the visibility of cross-sectoral work and identify opportunities to support structural change to address EDI collectively.

• best practice is shared and adopted on a sector-wide basis
• opportunities to challenge and address structural inequality are identified and supported

Near-term deliverables: create opportunities where members of our community share EDI learning to inform our EDI activity, for example via webinars, roundtable discussions, talks at council meetings, staff webinars, or content for AHRC blog.

• ensure all AHRC networks are actively discussing and reflecting on EDI good practice and learning
• implement learning from stakeholders

Objective 2: Advancing equality and inclusion through our investments and how we work

• develop diversity within our decision-making bodies such as our Peer Review College
• develop our grant management and awarding processes to ensure they are as inclusive as possible
• ensure EDI is not compartmentalised but embedded across the organisation
• commit to the ongoing journey of developing good EDI knowledge, understanding and practice

We will continue to recruit a diverse range of people to our decision-making bodies and offer members of these decision-making bodies appropriate EDI training to inform their work

• our decision-making will be informed and enriched by diverse voices
• achieving this diversity is central to achieving our mission to identify and fund the best ideas
• a measurable increase in overall diversity in the membership of AHRC Council, AHRC Advisory Board, Peer Review College, assessment and moderation
• panels across all funding schemes and modes and all AHRC-convened committees to reflect Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) research communities and UK population demographic data in domains we collect
• build on the success of the last Peer Review College recruitment round, embedding key learnings in future recruitment rounds
• work with UKRI colleagues in a cross-council approach to improve Peer Review College recruitment and process
• explore how best to facilitate progression through our decision-making bodies for diverse candidates
• develop an EDI training offer for members and convenors of these decision-making bodies to inform decision-making processes

Medium-term deliverables: prepare for next round of council recruitment.

Develop our grant management and awarding processes to ensure they are as inclusive as possible. We will improve our approach to conducting equality impact assessments (EIAs) for all new investments. We will identify opportunities to improve EDI on a funding opportunity-by-funding opportunity basis

The difference it will make: reviewing our grant management and awarding processes on a funding opportunity-by-funding opportunity basis and completing EIAs effectively should address structural barriers that prevent people from accessing AHRC funding. This will enable us to exercise flexibility in funding opportunity requirements and grant management, and ensure we try to mitigate known barriers to participation.

• development of inclusive funding policy
• support and enable more diverse applicants to apply for funding opportunities
• reflect HESA research communities
• drive towards alignment with UK population
• delivery of AHRC’s responsive mode review and transformation
• work with cross-council colleagues in delivery of UKRI’s Simpler and Better Funding programme and the funding service
• EDI review of AHRC research funding guide and development of new EDI content
• work with UKRI EDI workforce team to support with development of EIA resource and training. All AHRC staff to undertake EIA training

Medium-term deliverables: work with cross-council colleagues in delivery of UKRI’s Simpler and Better Funding programme and the funding service.

EDI will not be compartmentalised but embedded across the organisation, and will inform all that we do

The difference it will make: EDI policy and practice informs governance, planning, decision-making, development, investment management, stakeholder engagement, public engagement, monitoring, evaluation and learning activity across the organisation.

The change we want to see: everyone in the organisation takes responsibility for delivering AHRC’s EDI vision and embeds good EDI practice in their work streams.

• EDI is at the core of mature programme and project management culture being led by the programme management office
• public engagement activity celebrating diversity in research via programmes such as New Generation Thinkers
• EDI principles informing stakeholder mapping and engagement approach
• review of the EDI action plan actions and key learnings, and develop content accordingly
• development of EDI policy

We recognise that developing good EDI knowledge, understanding and practice is an ongoing process to which we are committed. We will foster this learning through stakeholder engagement, development of partnerships, networks and working closely with UKRI colleagues

• develop our knowledge and understanding about good EDI practice and principles to inform all that we do
• set an example to those we fund by demonstrating that we are committed to ongoing learning and development in this key policy area
• EDI is an ongoing learning agenda for everyone in AHRC
• all AHRC employees feel supported and confident to develop their EDI knowledge and understanding
• EDI is embedded in all that we do
• consultation with EDI advisory groups and stakeholders
• participation with cross-council EDI working groups
• setting up of AHRC EDI project group
• all staff to access UKRI EDI curriculum when launched
• development of key partnerships to develop EDI learning and knowledge
• AHRC’s pilot EDI Engagement Fellowships opportunity and report
• the Indigenous Engagement Programme
• International Networks for Disability opportunity
• Inclusive Global Development
• development of partnerships that can support our organisational EDI learning journey

Objective 3: Everyone who works for UKRI will feel included, valued and able to contribute and participate

• work with UKRI colleagues to deliver the UKRI EDI workforce plan
• work with AHRC colleagues to deliver AHRC’s people plan

AHRC will work with UKRI colleagues to deliver the six priorities of the EDI workforce plan

The difference it will make: develop efforts to diversify our workforce and continue to develop an inclusive workforce culture where all staff can thrive in their careers and feel valued.

The change we want to see: a world-class organisation that champions diversity of people and thought. All staff can realise their potential.

Near-term deliverables: work with our cross-council colleagues to deliver EDI workforce action plan priorities by 2026.

Medium-term deliverables: work with our cross-council colleagues to deliver EDI workforce action plan priorities by 2026.

Deliver AHRC’s people plan

The difference it will make: the importance of EDI and our commitment to it is embedded in all key strategic frameworks that support staff, their wellbeing and development, such as our people plan.

The change we want to see: EDI is at the core of our values, behaviours and delivery.

Near-term deliverables: delivery of AHRC’s people plan including:

• develop EDI learning opportunities for staff across AHRC to increase EDI confidence
• encourage staff to set an EDI objective in employee performance frameworks and leadership reviews
• AHRC’s values and behaviours and leadership competency framework to lay out our intentions as an inclusive employer
• enable staff to work in ways that support their wellbeing in order to retain and attract diverse talent

Medium-term deliverables: review UKRI people survey 2023 results and update people plan accordingly.

Objective 4: To develop approaches to monitor, measure and evaluate change

• continue to analyse and publish EDI data
• ensure AHRC’s monitoring, evaluation and learning strategy informs our approach to how we monitor, measure and evaluate change

Ongoing commitment to analyse and publish EDI data and explore how we can work collaboratively with UKRI colleagues to develop these datasets

The difference it will make: ensure AHRC’s decision-making is informed by robust data and evidence.

The change we want to see: EDI interventions developed to improve diversity of applicants and award-holders.

• contribute to UKRI’s publication and analysis of EDI data across UKRI
• develop EDI analysis and commentary of all our investments

Medium-term deliverables: work with Simpler and Better Funding Programme to develop collection, understanding and analysis of EDI data.

The difference it will make: improved understanding of the EDI impact and benefits of our investments and programmes of activity.

The change we want to see: evolving and maturing EDI policy and practice.

• work with strategy, impact and engagement colleagues to ensure the monitoring, evaluation and learning strategy informs how we monitor, measure and evaluate EDI across all our investments and programmes of activity
• work with UKRI colleagues to ensure joined-up cross-council approach to how we monitor, measure and evaluate change across UKRI

Medium-term deliverables: more EDI-informed decision-making on strategic and operational planning, practice and process.

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Leveraging the Action Research Model for Culture Change and Leadership Development

• Dr. Nancy Zentis
• December 18, 2023

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Organizational change is not just about implementing new processes or systems; it is also an opportunity to foster culture change and develop effective leadership. The Action Research Model, with its emphasis on collaboration, reflection, and continuous learning, offers a powerful framework for driving culture change and leadership development during the change process. In this article, we will explore how the Action Research Model can create a positive cultural shift and facilitate leadership growth within organizations.

• Creating a Culture of Collaboration: The Action Research Model inherently promotes a culture of collaboration. By involving employees, teams, and stakeholders at various stages of the research and action process, organizations foster an environment where individuals work together towards a common goal. This collaborative approach breaks down silos, encourages cross-functional communication, and builds trust among team members. As employees actively engage in the change process, they develop a sense of ownership and commitment to the desired culture change.
• Facilitating Reflection and Learning: Central to the Action Research Model is the concept of reflection and learning. Throughout the change process, organizations encourage individuals to reflect on their experiences, evaluate outcomes, and learn from both successes and failures. This intentional reflection allows employees to gain insights into their own behavior, biases, and assumptions. It also enables them to identify areas for personal and professional growth. As individuals develop a habit of reflective practice, they become more self-aware, adaptable, and capable of leading change.

By fostering collaboration, reflection, and continuous learning, organizations can create a culture that embraces change, empowers individuals, and nurtures effective leadership.

• Empowering Leadership Development: The Action Research Model provides a fertile ground for leadership development. As individuals participate in the research and action phases, they have the opportunity to take on leadership roles and responsibilities. This involvement allows emerging leaders to refine their decision-making skills, hone their communication abilities, and strengthen their problem-solving capabilities. The collaborative nature of the model also encourages leaders to engage in coaching, mentorship, and knowledge-sharing, nurturing a culture of leadership development throughout the organization.
• Promoting Change Agents and Champions: Change agents and champions play a critical role in driving culture change within organizations. The Action Research Model supports the identification and development of these change agents by empowering individuals to actively participate in the change process. As employees gain knowledge, skills, and experience through their involvement, they become advocates for change. These change agents can inspire and motivate others, share best practices, and provide guidance and support during the cultural transformation. The model cultivates a network of change champions who are instrumental in sustaining the desired culture shift.
• Encouraging Continuous Improvement: Culture change and leadership development are ongoing journeys rather than one-time events. The Action Research Model’s cyclical nature promotes continuous improvement. Organizations can use the insights gathered from reflection and evaluation to refine their strategies, adjust their interventions, and make informed decisions for further culture change and leadership development initiatives. This iterative process helps organizations adapt to evolving needs, foster a culture of innovation, and create an environment where continuous learning and growth are valued.

The Action Research Model serves as a powerful catalyst for culture change and leadership development during the change process. By fostering collaboration, reflection, and continuous learning, organizations can create a culture that embraces change, empowers individuals, and nurtures effective leadership. Through active participation, reflection, and the cultivation of change agents, the model provides a structured framework for driving sustainable cultural transformation and developing leaders who are equipped to navigate the complexities of change in today’s dynamic business landscape.

About the Author

Dr. Nancy Zentis is the founder and CEO of Institute of Organization Development.  She founded IOD more than 23 years ago to help provide a certification process for those in the field of Organization Development.  She can be contacted at [email protected] .  Website: https://instituteod.com

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The playbook outlines strategies for sustaining partnerships through transparent communication, long-term funding and leadership support—all of which will help hospitals and health systems foster effective partnerships and build a Culture of Health.

Hospitals and health systems interested in partnering with community organizations can navigate through the playbook and learn how to identify organizations and resources within the community to potentially partner with, host kickoff meetings, and conduct visioning exercises with partners to identify a shared mission.

New and existing partnerships can use innovative strategies, tools and worksheets in this playbook to:

• Identify partners and their assets
• Host community collaborative meetings
• Define roles and responsibilities in a collaborative
• Address common goals in a collaborative
• Create an action plan
• Measure partnership effectiveness
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How to create a post-survey action plan (template and exercises)

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People typically think of employee engagement surveys as opportunities to collect employee data – but that’s only the first step of the process. The next, and arguably most important, part is analyzing your survey results and working with internal stakeholders and leaders to identify where to take effective action.

To simplify the process of moving from understanding results to taking action, Culture Amp’s people scientists have partnered with digital collaboration platform Miro . Using our Results to Action Template , your team can determine where to direct your time and resources for the greatest impact on your people and business.

Grab the template and follow these seven steps to analyze your survey results, create meaningful action plans , and drive impactful organizational change:

1. Schedule a meeting

First things first: Start by dedicating time for your results-to-action discussion. Choose a time that works for your key stakeholders and send out an agenda beforehand so everyone comes prepared with the necessary context to make the most of the meeting. In your calendar invite, clearly state the objective of the meeting (i.e., identifying 1-3 actionable steps to improve life at your company) and set expectations for participation (come prepared to ask questions, share feedback, and brainstorm). Because this is an interactive meeting, we urge you to set aside one to two hours to get the most out of it without feeling rushed.

Have you heard of the IKEA effect ? Essentially, people are more likely to like something they’ve helped create. Using our Miro template is an excellent way to involve your team in the action planning and execution process. A collaborative approach to the ideation process creates a sense of ownership, enables creativity, develops trust, and builds upon the momentum you've gained in sharing your results.

2. Briefly review results

Before you dive into your discussion, take a few minutes at the start of the meeting to review your latest engagement survey results. This will give everyone the context they need to have a meaningful and pointed discussion.

While narrowing your focus can be challenging, Culture Amp’s employee experience platform comes with an intelligent Focus Agent that identifies your company’s largest areas of improvement. Taking the time to manually analyze results and pull actionable insights can be time-consuming, so Focus Agent sifts through the data for you, highlighting areas where action will most likely have the greatest impact on employee engagement (or your outcome of focus).

Looking to identify focus areas yourself? Look for areas that:

• Have a strong impact on engagement, such as lower favorable scores and larger negative gaps to available internal and external comparisons.
• Your business is willing to put resources behind (money, effort, time, people)
• Your team and employees feel optimistic about addressing
• Align with your organization’s needs, goals, and objectives.

3. Identify what’s working and what’s not

This stage is where using an interactive tool like Miro can really shine. Ask meeting attendees to answer these two questions:

• What are we doing well?
• What are we doing not so well?

Use sticky notes in Miro to list the top three responses to each question. These answers will direct the next steps of your discussion. Of course, you can always use physical sticky notes or a whiteboard for in-person discussions, or another technology to involve virtual participants.

4. Take time to “brainwrite” improvements

Now that you’ve identified your top areas of opportunity, it’s time to kick off your brainstorm – but rather than encouraging attendees to voice ideas aloud, consider what organizational psychologist and bestselling author Adam Grant calls “ brainwriting .” According to Grant, brainstorming, or ideating together as a group, can actually discourage diversity of thought. Instead, he recommends brainwriting, or having participants take a few minutes to write down their thoughts individually then coming together as a group to share and vote on the ideas.

When you kick off this portion of your meeting, give every participant roughly five minutes to write down as many ideas as possible. Encourage attendees not to focus on perfection but to jot down whatever comes to mind on different colored sticky notes using Miro or even just an old-fashioned piece of paper.

Next up is the big reveal! When time is up, have everyone add their ideas to your interactive Miro board. Organize them by grouping similar ideas. Then, review all the suggestions as a team and pick your favorites. Of course, feel free to add and vote on any new ideas that pop up during your discussion.

5. Use an effort vs. impact matrix

While this step is optional, it can be particularly helpful if no clear winners emerge from your brainwrite. Create an effort vs. impact matrix, and move each suggestion to one of four quadrants:

• Low impact and high effort: Actions that require a lot of time and effort but have little effect on your employees.
• Low impact and low effort: Actions that require little work and will have little effect on your employees.
• High impact and high effort: Actions that need a lot of attention and resources but will have a large impact on employees.
• High impact and low effort: Actions that are quick wins, meaning they will have a significant impact on your workforce while requiring little to no work.

An example of an effort vs. impact matrix that can help your team identify high-impact, low-effort initiatives

By moving each idea into a quadrant, you can quickly develop a better understanding of which suggestions are more resource- and time-intensive and which have the highest potential to create lasting workplace improvements. This can help you select the best ideas for your business and employees.

6. Plan next steps

Once you have one to three clear action plans in place, you’re ready to move these efforts forward. To ensure they live on beyond this meeting, you’ll need to:

• Document your action items
• Set completion deadlines
• Assign owners to drive accountability

If you have time left in your meeting, you can flesh these ideas out further. This may include identifying any additional steps you’ll need to take, addressing limitations, assessing resource requirements, and more. This process can provide you and your team with clear next steps to ensure you can get right to work on these initiatives.

7. Add your action plan to Culture Amp

Once you’ve agreed on what actions your organization will take, add them to Culture Amp and create an action plan. Action plans act as a public commitment, holding your organization accountable for achieving these actions. They also make progress easy to track.

Ready to create your own action plan? Check out our Take Action with the Action Framework support page.

Take action with Culture Amp and Miro

Utilizing our Results to Action Template, your business can pinpoint areas for improvement, brainstorm effective strategies, and construct an action plan to drive positive change. Culture Amp is here to help your business swiftly and efficiently identify focus areas and high-impact programs, while Miro facilitates collaborative brainstorming sessions to generate impactful ideas that drive meaningful workplace improvements.

Are you prepared to invest in your organization and its people? Download Culture Amp and Miro’s Results to Action template and follow our step-by-step guide to prioritizing high-impact actions from employee surveys.

Not using Culture Amp and Miro yet?

Download our Results to action worksheet to help you turn your survey insights into a meaningful path forward.

What’s next

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Build a world-class employee experience today

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