Hire your way to better science: How to improve research and research culture by changing hiring and promotion practices

In the last few years there has been much conversation about how to improve research practices and research culture. In the flurry of presenting and developing new initiatives, there has however been less emphasis placed on reviewing and improving more established practices already ingrained in the research ecosystem. One of these practices that is critical to how research functions is hiring and promotion.

This event aims to highlight the importance of hiring and promotion, by calling on a diverse set of researchers’ and funder perspectives. We will hear from an early-career, mid-career and senior researcher, to understand how hiring and promotion affects them and their colleagues. The event will outline ways in which researchers and institutions have already improved their hiring practices, and discuss what is still missing, setting up a future blueprint for improving research and research culture through hiring and promotion.

Agenda:

10:30 - Introduction from Chair: Professor Dorothy Bishop FBA FMedSci FRS, University of Oxford

10:35 - Speaker 1: Dr Jessica Butler, University of Aberdeen

10:45 - Speaker 2: Dr Zania Stamataki, University of Birmingham

10:55 - Q&A session

11:10 - Break

11:15 - Speaker 3: Dr Tanita Casci, Head of Research Policy, University of Glasgow​

11:25 - Speaker 4: Dr Ben Bleasdale, Senior Policy & Advocacy Adviser, Wellcome​

11:35 - Q&A session

11:55 - Closing remarks from Chair

12:00 - End

This event has been developed in collaboration with the UK Reproducibility Network, ReproducibiliTea and RIOT Science Club. It is linked to the Academy’s COVID-19 Career Support Space, which has personal stories and free resources on a range of topics including Challenging Inequalities, Leading Your Team and Stress & Overwork.

These events are free to attend and will be held entirely online. Please book your place in advance, so our speakers know how many to expect.