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Research culture

Enhancing our Research Culture: A core element of Sussex's Research with Impact strategy

Research Culture is a broad term that, according to the definition, encompasses the behaviours, values, expectations, attitudes and norms of our research communities. Research Culture at Sussex is thriving, and our priority is to share and celebrate best practice and address gaps through institutional support and investment. 

The Research Culture Steering Group is developing a Research Culture Action Plan to be published in early 2024, which aims to drive the development of a positive Research Culture. Through consultation with the research community, the following priority areas have emerged:

• Collaboration: Encouraging collaboration through our research: within and across teams; within and beyond disciplines; with academic partners and with stakeholders.
• Maximising Potential: Enabling everyone working on research at Sussex to flourish, whatever their role, career stage or career path.
• Belonging: ensuring that all those contributing to research feel valued and supported; community is enjoyed and supported by all; people feel they have agency and time to be ambitious
• Open Research: growing our open research practice to ensure Sussex research at all stages is transparent, trusted and impactful, and supports knowledge equity

Our work is governed by the Research Culture Steeering Group and delivered by teams across campus, which is coordinated by the Research Initiatives Team.

The Research Culture Steering Group

The Research Culture Steering Group provides guidance and direction to the University’s Research with Impact Aims and has oversight of all activity under the Research Culture portfolio. The Steering Group supports the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Research and Enterprise in determining the use of external funding allocations awarded to the University to develop our Research Culture. 

The Steering Group represents academic and professional services expertise across the Research Culture agenda (collegiality and collaboration; career development; equality, diversity and inclusion; research recognition; open research; impact capability building; research integrity, etc.). 

Membership

Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor of Research (Chair)

Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor of Knowledge Exchange

Pro-Vice Chancellor for Global & Civic Engagement 

Director of Research and Innovation

Head of Research Development and Initiatives

Dean of the Doctoral School

Chair of the Researcher Development Concordat Steering Group 

Assistant Director of HR (Culture, Equality and Inclusion)

Assistant Director of HR (Reward and Retention)

Associate Director of Technical Operations

Senior Research Culture Consultant  

Enhancing Research Culture Allocation

In September 2023, the University received its second year of Enhancing Research Culture funding from

The Enhancing Research Culture allocation can be used in any of the areas covered by the to pilot new initiatives, increase the scale of already-proven activities, and to enable supported activities to become sustainable.

The Research Culture Steering Group reviewed an inital round of applications in early September and the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation agreed funding for eight projects.

Details to follow shortly.

 Please contact Lorna Hards, Senior Research Culture Consultant, for more information at: l.hards@sussex.ac.uk.