Our ambitions for Research and Innovation Culture at Loughborough
We’re working towards a thriving research and innovation culture, guided by a shared ambitions and collective action across the University.
Building on our work to understand Loughborough’s research and innovation culture, we’ve set out a series of clear and purposeful ambitions across seven key themes, each firmly underpinned by equity, diversity and inclusion.
For every theme, we highlight the projects, initiatives and changes taking place across the University that are helping us move closer to our goals, and how we’ll track our progress along the way.
Capacity for R&I
Capacity for R&I
We want to expand our capacity for the research and innovation we’re already known for.
That means creating more flexibility for dedicated research time and valuing it equally with teaching. We’re also focused on growing our research communities to build a critical mass. Progress will be tracked through CEDARS and other indicators. Here are some examples of projects driving this forward.
Project Enable
Launched after the 2022 University Strategy, this project aims to reduce administrative burdens for academic and Professional Services staff, freeing time for research and supporting wellbeing and workload management.
Changes to the academic year
From 2025/26, the later start to the academic year aims to create more time for research and support wellbeing, inclusivity and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Role Models and Leadership
Role Models and Leadership
We expect everyone involved in research and innovation at Loughborough to lead by example and model best practices.
Our aim is to ensure that research and innovation communities can trust their leaders to address the issues that matter most, respectfully and effectively. Progress is tracked through responses to the annual Staff Survey. Below are examples of initiatives supporting these ambitions.
Loughborough Leadership Development
Our leadership development offer includes support for those leading research and innovation. Through Project Expectations and a new resource site, staff can access tailored opportunities to build skills and confidence.
Loughborough University Research Staff Association
LURSA brings together research staff in a supportive, researcher-led community. It advocates for change and influences policy via representation on key University groups, such as the Research and Innovation Committee and Research and Innovation Culture Working Group.
Professional and Career Development
Professional and Career Development
Our ambition is to support flexible career pathways specifically for research roles, and to provide authentic, high-quality development opportunities that nurture diverse aspirations. We also want to reduce the reliance on short-term contracts for researchers in favour of more permanent roles. Progress will be tracked through HR employment data and survey responses. Here are examples of some initiatives.
Loughborough University Research Academy
The Research Academy is designed to drive the culture change needed to position Loughborough as a global research leader. It will support growth and development across all roles and career stages, empowering our entire research and innovation community.
Support for Technicians
As a founding signatory of the Technician Commitment, Loughborough promotes visibility, recognition and career development for technical staff across the University.
Recognition and Reward
Recognition and Reward
We strive to continue embedding responsible approaches to research and innovation assessment. These prioritise quality over quantity, recognise diverse contributions from all staff, and improve parity between research-active and research-enabling colleagues. Progress is monitored through the national CEDARS and University Staff Survey, alongside qualitative indicators.
Responsible Research Assessment Policy
Loughborough University is committed to responsible research assessment. As signatories of DORA and CoARA, we were one of the first UK universities to introduce a Responsible Metrics Policy in 2016, now expanded into a wider framework for the fair and transparent evaluation of research and researchers.
Evidence-Informed Output Narratives
This guidance supports researchers in demonstrating the quality and impact of their outputs for internal assessments, such as academic promotion, promoting fairer evaluation across disciplines.
Community and Collegiality
Community and Collegiality
We want every member of our research and innovation community to feel connected, valued and supported. We are committed to creating more time and space for genuine, inclusive collaboration and open, honest conversations, especially on challenging issues such wellbeing or research misconduct. Progress will be tracked through survey responses. Here are some examples of initiatives supporting these ambitions.
Research Conferences and Events
The Loughborough University Research Conference and Doctoral College’s Summer Showcase offer inclusive opportunities for researchers at different career stages to share their work, learn from peers and expand their professional networks.
Research Culture Collective
Loughborough’s new Research Culture Collective brings together colleagues across Schools and Professional Services responsible for fostering a positive research culture. It connects people to share ideas, collaborate, and learn from one another.
Staff Networks
Loughborough University hosts several staff networks that help different groups build communities and find a sense of belonging.
Research Integrity and Openness
Research Integrity and Openness
Our ambition is to uphold the highest ethical standards in research and make our research outputs more findable, accessible, discoverable and reproducible.
Embedding Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in research planning is another priority. Progress will be tracked via survey feedback and other measures. Examples of initiatives follow.
Research Integrity Champions
Each School has a Research Integrity Champion to promote responsible research practices, and a new programme will connect champions, strengthen leadership, support collaboration and help apply institutional priorities locally.
Open Research Leads
Appointed in each School, Open Research Leads support Loughborough’s open research ambitions by promoting open practices, helping implement policies and ensuring compliance. They work together within the University’s Open Research Working Group.
EDI ToolKit
Developed collaboratively by C-DICE with partner universities, the EDI Toolkit offers flexible online training to help researchers embed Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in their work. Open to all disciplines and career stages, it supports inclusive project design and funding applications.
Working in Partnership
Working in Partnership
We are dedicated to increasing collaboration both across and beyond our campuses.
This includes building meaningful relationships with local, national and global partners, and fostering a culture of sharing intelligence about partnerships across professional services and academics. Progress will be tracked primarily through monitoring our research outputs.
Institute of Advanced Studies
The Institute of Advanced Studies supports collaborations with leading international scholars by offering funding for visits to Loughborough. Opportunities range from week-long research summits to month-long residencies, enabling in-depth engagement and knowledge exchange
Accelerator funding
Accelerator funding helps academic and research staff create impact through support for public engagement, early-stage innovation, and commercialisation activities, including IP protection and spin-out development.
View the full list of ambitions and indicators here (accessible to staff on campus or via VPN).
Are you looking for practical ideas or examples to help bring these ambitions to life? Visit our Resources and Initiatives page for toolkits, projects and inspiration aligned with our Research and Innovation Culture Themes.