Of the 92 Vitae UK member institutions with the HREiR Award, Loughborough University is one of just nine that has retained the award for 12 consecutive years.
By retaining this prestigious award, Loughborough University has demonstrated, via a rigorous peer review process and interview, its long-term commitment to the career development of researchers. This was achieved by providing progress made towards the 2021-22 Action Plan and importantly, developing a robust 2023-2026 Action Plan.
Speaking about the renewal, Dr Katryna Kalawsky (Programme Director, Researcher Development Pathways and Loughborough’s HREiR Operational Co-Lead) said: “We are delighted that Loughborough has again received recognition for its commitment towards supporting its research staff community. However, whilst much has been achieved that we are proud of, we will not rest on our laurels and we are determined to make significantly more progress to further enhance the experiences of our research staff at Loughborough.”
Dr Tina Byrom (Head of Enhanced Academic Practice and Loughborough’s HREiR Operational Co-Lead) commented: “We are delighted to have secured the HREiR Award. Given its importance in demonstrating Loughborough’s commitment to our research staff community, we have devised several key actions to ensure we meet the obligations set out for us by Vitae. To drive the new action plan forward, we will be bringing small communities of practice together, so look out for how you might get involved in this important and exciting area of our work.”
Professor Dan Parsons (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation and Loughborough’s HREiR Strategic Lead) added: “I am delighted that we have had our commitment to the careers of researchers recognised through a renewal of the HREiR award. We have a range of improved systems and structures in place to ensure success in meeting the obligations we have committed to, and we recognise what a critical area of our function developing our people really is.
“I am looking forward to proactively working with colleagues across the University to ensure demonstrable progress and impact against our new action plan. Ultimately, we are invested in enhancing the experiences of our researcher community and that is a core element of delivering our University strategy, ‘Creating Better Futures. Together’."
To find out more about the HREiR and see the University’s associated action plans, please visit the research staff webpages.