Lancaster University has won an award for Business Effectiveness and Organisational Performance in the Universities Human Resources Awards.

This is given for an initiative that has driven and demonstrably enhanced organisational performance and competitive advantage - the 50^th Anniversary Lectureships Scheme.

Lancaster University had already enjoyed many accolades, and the calibre of teaching/research over the last 50 years has enabled a steady climb up the league tables. The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) confirmed Lancaster as a world-leading research university, and as one of eight most research-intensive universities in the North of England with 83% of research rated as either internationally excellent or world leading, with research partnerships in over 60 countries.

The University’s ambition was to both future proof and build on its success through the next generation of academics. To achieve this a talent management pipeline - The 50th Anniversary Lectureship scheme - was created that cemented the aims of the University’s 2020 vision, to attract, develop and retain the best staff.

Annette Robinson, Organisational Developer at Lancaster, said: “The 50^th Anniversary Lectureship scheme emerged as an initiative to attract, develop and retain a cohort of high potential, early career researchers. Over the 5-year period of the scheme, the role-holders would develop their research portfolios and achieve fast-track academic promotion, assisting the University in not only raising profitability/research status, but also that the next generation of world leading Academics would emerge. The project has made an enormous impact at Lancaster.”

Speaking on behalf of UHR, Helen Scott said: “This submission describes HR work at its best, ensuring the quality and performance of academic staff is at the heart of HR’s role in a university. The approach encouraged multidisciplinary activity and academic colleagues were encouraged to see themselves as part of the collective. Lancaster took and trialled some new approaches which may not have been possible with ‘regular' new appointments. The submission sets out an impressive range of statistics about the return on investment and the value being added – the judges felt the outcomes and benefits are measurable and very impressive.”