Professor Malcolm Joyce, Interim Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) opened the day. An overview of all the work that has been happening to enhance research culture at the University and future activity was provided.

Other contributors to this session included:

• Professor Peter Atkinson, Executive Dean (FST), Chair of the Research Culture Working Group
• Professor Stijn Mertens, Academic Director of Research Culture
• Sarah Rees, Head of Stakeholder Relations
• Dion Williams, Director of Research, Enterprise and Innovation

Welcome and Introductions slide presentation

These two mini-talks introduced participants to some exciting initiatives and opportunities happening around research culture. Click on the title link to access the slide presentations.

How Do We Transform Research Culture? Empowering Researchers and Communities for Sustainable, Ethical, and Inclusive Research

How can we empower researchers and communities to transform research culture for a sustainable, ethical, and inclusive future? Supported by the Wellcome Trust, this project at Lancaster University examines current practices to identify strengths and areas for improvement, aiming to design interventions that integrate sustainability, ethics, and inclusivity into research, aligning with the university’s net-zero goal for 2035.

• Dr Sam Finnerty, Senior Research Associate
• Dr Yingnian Tao, Senior Research Associate
• Catriona Gold, Project Manager, Reimagining Research Practices

Demystifying Internal Funding Opportunities

• Dr Amy Mayfield, Research Culture Manager
• Jamie Hodge, Impact Acceleration Account, Partnership Development Manager
• Dr Mandy Dillon, Senior Research Development Manager

These three mini-talks highlighted some of the support available for the research community- to engage, for wellbeing and for career development. Click on the title link to access the presentations.

Media magic - strategic use of media for researchers and how the communication team can help smooth the path

• Victoria Tyrell, Assistant Director of Communications
• Beth Broomby, Head of News and Research Communications
• Luke Davis, Head of Internal Communications

Supporting the Wellbeing of Researchers - signposting to all the support available and introducing the work of the Anti-Harassment and Bullying Team

• Dr Ann-Marie Houghton, Dean of EDI
• Dr Awawing Andongma, Senior Research Associate

Supporting the Career Development of Researchers

• Catherine Harrison, Associate Director of People, Culture and Inclusion
• Dr Margaret Sandars, Faculty Research Project Manager, FHM
• Dr Emma Putland, Senior Research Associate, FASS
• Dr Cara Molyneux , Senior Research Associate, LUMS
• Kate Haywood, Faculty Research and Engagement Manager, FST

This session illustrated how you (and your research or research support can make a positive difference in society. Moving away from familiar sector terms (impact, REF, engagement etc.) it helped to break down barriers and consider how an open approach can (or may) support positive research culture.

Workshop facilitators:

• Jamie Hodge, Impact Acceleration Account, Partnership Development Manager
• Janine Bickerstaff, Research Policy Impact Manager
• Jess Shaw, Public Engagement Manager
• Dr Philip Donkersley, Senior Teaching Associate

Research that makes a real-world difference presentation.

This session took place in the Decision Theatre, a dedicated semi-immersive teaching and research facility that allows the exploration of complex problems. Panel members used the theatre to share their experience and the opportunities for interdisciplinary research in a visually stimulating and interactive session.

Panel Members included:

• Dion Williams, Director of Research, Enterprise and Innovation (Chair for the session)
• Professor Benjamin Robinson, Chair and Director of Materials Science Lancaster
• Dr Manoj Roy, Lancaster Environment Centre
• Dr Mandy Dillon, Senior Research Development Manager
• Laura Kornas, Head of Partnerships and Engagement for Health and Social Care

Interdisciplinary Research presentation (not all panel members used a presentation)

This was a collaborative session where postgraduate researchers were asked to share their experiences of research culture as PGRs at Lancaster, and to provide feedback on ways to improve the PGR experience at Lancaster.

Workshop facilitators:

• Chris Edwards, Director of the Doctoral Academy
• Simon Vaukins, Faculty Postgraduate Research (PGR) Operations Manager

Due to the collaborative nature of this session a presentation was not used in this session.

This workshop explored the support and opportunities available to Lancaster Researchers provided by the Library and how to engage with Open Research at LU. This included the Trailblazers initiative and an Open Access Book publishing scheme developed in partnership with Liverpool University Press, the University of Liverpool and the University of Salford.

Workshop facilitators:

• Nicola Wylie, Research Intelligence Manager,
• Tom Morley, Research Culture and Open Monographs Lead

Trailblazing and Other Opportunities presentation

The British Academy’s ECR Network (BA-ECRN) is an inclusive,* researcher-led membership body accessible to UK-based early career researchers working in the arts, humanities and social sciences. The Network aims to help ECRs develop their careers and enable them to fulfil their potential by offering opportunities including research and personal skills development, networking inside and outside of academia and forming interdisciplinary research collaborations.

The BA-ECRN has now expanded with the announcement of its new North West and North Wales cluster. Led by Lancaster University, University of Manchester, and Manchester Metropolitan, the new regional cluster will offer early career researchers (ECRs) in the humanities, arts and social sciences a wide range of support tailored to their specific needs.  

This session was led by Professor Suzanne Ost (Law School), the academic lead for the NWNW cluster and Dr Leonie Smith (Lecturer in Philosophy, Department of PPR) and included:

• an introduction to the training and funding opportunities offered by membership of the BA-ECRN and how to apply
• time for interactive discussion about what developmental training opportunities would be of most value to ECRs at Lancaster

Introducing the British Academy ECR Network presentation

* An ECR is defined broadly by the BA-ECRN as someone who is typically within ten years of award of a PhD qualification (but allowing flexibility for those who have had career breaks), or someone with equivalent research experience. Membership is open to anyone within this definition, including research-only staff, and regardless of funding source or background.

The Archive Research Centre (ARC) is a new bespoke space for staff, students and visitors to interact with the unique books and archive collections held by the Library. It is an access point for individuals wanting to use our collections for research, as well as providing teaching sessions for groups on a wide variety of subjects and archival research skills. Katie Waring, Special Collections and Archives Manager took participants on a tour of the facilities plus a chance to view some of the rare books and historical documents we hold.

For more information about the Archive Research Centre contact Katie Waring: k.waring1@lancaster.ac.uk