In the UK, universities and research institutes should be the first point of contact for advice as they often offer a number of key services, which may include the following:
- Careers Service or Department where researchers can get tailored support and advice.
- Staff Development – bespoke training opportunities offered within individual institutions or departments.
- Mentoring schemes – some institutions offer opportunities for researchers to learn from more experienced colleagues or across different sectors.
- Networks – there are often other formal/informal local networks where researchers can find additional support.
- Knowledge transfer schemes – these exist in most institutions and provide important advice around commercialisation of research and other industry related considerations.
UK EURAXESS Centres
For researchers planning to move to the UK for career development opportunities, it is important to see what your host institution offers early on. This will allow you to get the full benefit of their services. EURAXESS Centres offer personalised career advice to researchers applying to their institution.
Development Resources for Researchers
The EURAXESS portal hosts a large range of freely available, quality assured resources to support researcher career development. These resources are available to researchers that sign up to a account on the EURAXESS platform. Through a range of online tools, EURAXESS supports researchers directly through the process of thinking about their careers, planning their development trajectory, and then in developing the appropriate enabling skills. Whether it is about engaging with academia or industry, receiving support from career development centres or finding useful information and training resources, the collected resources are a valuable resource to any aspirational researcher.
Development Resources for Organisations
EURAXESS offers its members free, easy-to-use resources and tools for high-standard career development services within organisations.
Vitae - Career Development Centre
Vitae is the EURAXESS Career Development Centre for the UK. They provide a great deal of support and information in the field of Career Development. These include publications, regular events and community of support. Vitae have also developed the Researcher Development Framework, a tool to help researchers identify and develop key skills, behaviours and attributes for successful researchers. In order to access all Vitae’s resources you will be required to become a member for a fee, however, it may be that your institution has membership.
European Research Area (ERA)Talent Platform
The European Commission's ERA Talent Platform serves as a comprehensive online gateway for researchers and research and innovation institutions. It provides access to a range of services, including EURAXESS networks and portals, the HR Excellence in Research award, the RESAVER pension scheme, the Innovation Talent Platform and the Research and Innovation Careers Observatory.