Main menu
Staff & students

Researcher development

Researchers are vital to the future of Goldsmiths. We aim to provide excellent career development support for all our research staff, at all stages of their career.

Primary page content

Researcher career development at Goldsmiths is facilitated by the Research and Knowledge Exchange Department in collaboration with academic departments and professional support services, including People and Organisational Development, the Graduate School, Teaching and Learning Information Centre, and the Library.

An institution-wide, interdisciplinary researcher development programme of activities and resources is complemented by discipline-responsive training opportunities, mentorship, and local research environment initiatives overseen by academic schools/departments.  

Goldsmiths is committed to supporting the career development of researchers and providing a supportive, equitable, and intellectually stimulating research environment for all our research community.

In realising our commitment to actively improve research culture both locally and sector-wide, Goldsmiths is a signatory to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, 2019 and an awardee of the HR Excellence in Research Award since 2012. 

Researcher Development Framework

Researcher development opportunities at Goldsmiths are structured to align with the Researcher Development Framework (RDF) to support researchers to identify learning needs and evidence their development activities.

The RDF is a profession-specific development tool, which charts potential competencies and progression pathways for those pursuing careers in research. Goldsmiths’ institutional membership provides all staff with access to Vitae’s training events, resources and the Researcher Development Framework.

Staff can use the RDF to identify strengths and gaps in their career development, prioritise development needs and monitor progress. 

Researcher development is supported by a network of specialist contributors facilitating the development of research professional competencies, transferable skills, career development/progression, discipline-specific knowledge and recognition, and key policies and resources.

Key contributions to researcher development at Goldsmiths include:

Research and Knowledge Exchange

  • The Researcher Development Hub provides a single access point for Goldsmiths staff to explore researcher training, career development resources, event calendars and a library of digital training resources
  • Tailored researcher training events, including sessions on research funding, ethics & integrity, career development and integrating EDI into research projects
  • A bi-weekly research newsletter with information about research funding, news, events, and career development opportunities
  • Institutional access to Research Professional for funding opportunities, news and job alerts
  • An annual programme of workshops on public engagement, knowledge exchange and media engagement
  • Strategic leadership development opportunities for BAME research staff
  • Goldsmiths' Early Career Researcher Network facilitating peer-to-peer learning, policy engagement, and ECR-specific opportunity communications

Goldsmiths staff can read more about Research and Knowledge Exchange on Goldmine.

Organisational Development & Wellbeing

  • Leadership and management training programmes
  • 1:1 coaching opportunities for all research-active staff, including Early Career Researchers (ECRs)
  • Digital literacy, project management, and recruitment training
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion events, including workshops on trans awareness, unconscious bias, and neurodiversity
  • Academic promotion training and support
  • Staff wellbeing programme, including access to mental health support, counselling, exercise classes, clubs (eg Creative Writing, Film, Book) and staff networks

Goldsmiths staff can read more about Organisational Development & Wellbeing on Goldmine.

Local Research Environments

  • Research seminar programmes, networking and knowledge exchange opportunities through research hubs, centres and units
  • Departmental mentoring opportunities
  • Annual performance development reviews
  • Discipline-responsive training and development opportunities

The Graduate School 

  • Annual programme of events, workshops and presentations on research methods and broader academic practices 
  • Opportunity to apply to the Graduate School Fund 
  • The Graduate Fellows scheme which enables recent PhD graduates to continue their affiliation with Goldsmiths  
  • PhD supervisor training for academic staff

Read more about The Graduate School and how it can support your research.

The Library 

  • Training and 1:1 support for users of  Goldsmiths Online Repository (GRO) 
  • Open access publishing training, policies, and best practices 

Visit the Library to find out more about the support available. 

HR Excellence in Research Award (HREiRA)

The HR Excellence in Research Award scheme is structured on the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, which aim to improve working conditions for researchers and the culture and environments that support the creation of innovative research. The scheme is administered in the UK by Vitae and overseen in Goldsmiths by the departments of Research and Knowledge Exchange and People and Organisational Development. 

Goldsmiths was first awarded the HREiRA in 2012. Since receiving the accreditation, Goldsmiths has successfully retained the award at each bi-annual industry evaluation of institutional progress. Following the most recent renewal in 2023, Goldsmiths is currently progressing activities detailed in the action plan for the 2023 – 2026 activity period. 

Researcher Development Concordat

Goldsmiths is a signatory to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, 2019 (commonly known as the Researcher Development Concordat), an agreement between funders and employers of research staff to improve the employment and support for researchers and researcher careers in UK higher education. 

  • All newly appointed researchers receive information about the concordat with their contracts, ensuring that they are aware of their entitlement to career development support
  • For every newly awarded research project, the concordat forms part of the set-up pack and is discussed at the initial project meeting

Annual Report for the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Research (PDF)

For more information or help contact researchtraining (@gold.ac.uk)