Research Staff Forum

18th March 2013, 12-2 pm.

Seminar Room 3, Wolfson Research Exchange

  1. Welcome, introductions and apologies

Present: Susan Burrows (Chair), Caroline White (minutes), Kate Mahoney, Sandy Sparks, Steph Humphrey, Hannah Grainger Clemson, Silvio Aldrovandi, Sian Taylor-Phillips, SharifahSekalala, Nana Zhang, Karen Ruane, Ed Smith, Charlotte Mathieson, Helen Albrow, Cheryl Rounsaville.

Apologies: Tim Jones, Paul Sutcliffe, Mairi-Ann Cullen, Vanessa Goodship, Sharon Neil.

  1. Minutes of last meeting and matters arising

Minutes accepted. No matters arising.

  1. Update from research reps

Susan Burrows (Physics):

  • Susan highlighted concerns about research staff not receiving annual reviews. KR and ES reported similar problems in Life Sciences.
  • Physics are going to introduce a promotion awareness day.

Silvio Androvandi (Psychology):

  • Research staff in Psychology have been invited for the first time to the University Council meeting.
  • Psychology has been reorganised into different research groups. After some initial confusion this has been positive. For example, termly away days have been organised so that researchers can get to know what others are doing (might be 4 times a year). Research staff and academics are invited.

Sian Taylor-Phillips (WMS):

  • The first meeting of a WMS Early Careers Researchers’ group has taken place. The Division of Health Sciences (about a fifth of the Medical School) already has a policy for ECR with money set aside for conferences and mentoring. The ECR policy for the whole Medical School is similar to this although money is not available for conferences and time set aside for personal development is not as much as it is for the Division of Health Sciences, which is half a day.

Caroline White (CEI):

  • CW and Penny Smith (WIE) have recently re-launched the Educational Researchers’ Network, with Mairi-Ann Cullen’s support, and are running a series of 5 networking lunches funded by LDC networking funding. The ERN is hoping to establish links with others involved in educational research across the University. There was a good turnout for the first meeting, including staff from WIE, WMS, Psychology and the Centre for Applied Linguistics. They will be running another event on Tuesday 23rd April in Wolfson Research Exchange, room 3. Just let Caroline know if you are interested in attending.

Karen Ruane (Life Sciences):

  • Monthly meetings are being held for post-docs to encourage them to communicate following previous disruption. Meetings involve free coffee and cake. Attendance is still low so they have decided to involve speakers who can talk about how post-docs can move to become a lecturer and find out what options are open to them. Life Sciences are also running a Women in Science event on Wednesday 27thMarch , 5.00 – 9.00 pm in GLT3, Warwick Medical School Atrium. The evening will include science career success stories and an informal wine and cheese networking opportunity. Susan Burrows (Physics)reported that their department had also run a ‘women in science’ day involving lunch and talks. Sandy Sparks reported that the Science Faculty had also run one.
  1. Report from the University Research Committee

SB reported on an e-mail she had received from Paul Sutcliffe about research match funding for collaboration, e.g. with Monash.

SS reported that a Strategy Bites session had taken place on the 13th March about internal research funding. PowerPoint:

  1. Report from Diversity and Equality Committee
  • SB attended a meeting in February which reported on STEM departments which had achieved Athena SWAN awards, e.g. gold award for Chemistry and bronze award for WMS.
  • That equality and diversity training was being held on 9th April and 11th June.
  • Induction for disabled undergraduate students was also discussed.
  • It was highlighted that all departments should have disability contacts.
  • There was also discussion about successful merit pay applications. For example, 43% of successful merit pay applications for research staff are female.
  1. Post Doc Newcomers meeting

This was discussed at the last meeting (item 5). Today’s discussion led to questions about general induction provision available at the University.

Action: SS will report back about provision for induction at the next meeting and members will report back on induction provision for their departments.

  1. Update from service reps

LCD (Sandy Sparks): SS reported that her contract has been extended for a further three years. She outlined forthcoming provision, e.g. an academic writing boot camp, academic writing workshops, and a UK Data Services course on data management. She drew attention to the new RAS website:

IAS Research Exchange partnership(Hannah Grainger Clemson): HGC reported that a new journal is being created - Exchanges: the Warwick Early Career Research Journal (working title), with a pilot issue being published in October 2013. This will be a peer-reviewed online journal dedicated to the publication of high-quality work by postgraduate and early career researchers from within and outside the University. The journal will welcome articles from all academic areas, including interdisciplinary research in order to encourage intellectual exchange and debate across research communities. The journal will be edited by early career researchers at the University, with a new editorial board created for each issue, and published bi-annually. The journal can receive articles that have been published and then reworked for a broader, interdisciplinary audience. Each article will be reviewed by two members of academic staff – an early careers researcher will be paired with a more established researcher. SharifahSekalala from the Law School pointed out that the parameters for word length, i.e. 2-5,000 words would not be suitable for their journal articles which need to be longer. HGC suggested that there could be tiered word lengths or a statement saying that if articles needed to be longer than 5,000 words, contact them.

Open Access (Cheryl Rounsaville): The Library's Open Access Officers, Helen Albrow and CherylRounsaville, gave an update on the revised Open Access policy and funding. They presented a slide show ‘Guide to Compliance with RCUK Policy on Open Access’ (which will be circulated to meeting attendees) and a recently issued ‘RCUK Policy on Open Access and Supporting Guidance’, available at: RCUK will produce full, final policy at the end of this month. HA and CR will be disseminating policy and guidance, in particular guidance on embargo periods. They encouraged meeting attendees to look at RCUK website and suggested that research staff should keep an eye on what their funders are doing with regard to open access. Funding will start from April 1st.

Vitae – Kate Mahoney: Kate Mahoney reported that VITAE’s regional hub will be based at the University of Warwick till 2015. VITAE are setting up a Midlands Research Staff Association in order to build a community of researchers who can be supported regardless of where their next contract takes them. See: If you are interested in becoming involved, see website. There will be a VITAE Research Staff conference on 7th November in Birmingham.

  1. Any other business

SS reported that Nana Zhang runs a networking group for people researching on China. SS also reported that the PIRLS and CROS Surveys will be in May 2013, bench marking the University again.

  1. Next meeting date and appointment of next Chair

Hannah Grainger Clemson volunteered to chair the next meeting which will take place in June.

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