Who is responsible for research culture?

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By Professor Jane Hillston, CSE Dean of Research Culture and REF

Before we address the question of who is responsible for research culture, we should perhaps first clarify what research culture is. The term “research culture” can seem a bit vague. Of course, as a University, we hope that we have a culture where carrying out research is normal and expected, and where the outcomes of research are respected and valued. But this is a “culture of research”. Instead “research culture” refers to a more detailed consideration of the ways in which research is carried out and what research is undertaken. As a phrase, “research culture” has become more prominent in recent years, but it really encompasses a whole set of initiatives, many of which have been developed over decades, including:

Ethics and integrity
Responsible research
Open research
Career development
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
Co-creation and research engagement

Raising the profile of research culture is intended to support not just those who would describe themselves as researchers, but everyone engaged in the research endeavour including technicians, research adjacent professional service staff, postgraduate and undergraduate students.

The Research Cultures Action Plan

Culture, like the weather, is something that you cannot really escape from. But luckily, unlike the weather, it is something that we can reasonably expect to shape and control. For that reason, the University published a Research Cultures Action Plan (RCAP), and associated Delivery Plan in 2023. This document sets out the University’s ambition to create a positive research culture that fosters excellent research whilst also supporting everyone involved in research to fulfil their potential.

Research Cultures Action Plan diagram

The RCAP is structured around five core values (Citizenship, Well-being, EDI, Ethics and Integrity and Learning) and recognises five key drivers for change that can help us create the research culture we want. These are:

Pathways and Progression – this encompasses many forms of recognition from a review of promotion processes to new staff award schemes at both College and University level
Targeted Support – a variety of mechanisms have been set up to establish support for particular activities such as open research, or particular groups of people such as technicians
Responsible Research – effort has been put into creating clearer mechanisms and processes to ensure that the research that we do has a positive impact on those taking part and on society more broadly
Communications and Engagement – there has been a concerted effort to raise awareness of the collective responsibility for creating a positive research culture
Data and Governance – in order to monitor progress and judge the success of the RCAP it is important that there are sufficient mechanisms for gathering data and evaluating progress

How we have been supporting RCAP at College?

Within the College of Science and Engineering we have been supporting the implementation of the RCAP through a wide variety of activities and approaches, ranging from targeted workshops on key topics to improved processes around aspects of research governance to creating a PDRA forum to give voice to postdoctoral researchers in the College. To avoid a sense of overload we have tried to focus on one key topic each month. For example, in April 2025 the focus is on International research, and we hosted a workshop on the challenges and opportunities associated with working with collaborators from other countries or conducting research in the international context. In May we are focussing on careers with workshops for research professional service staff and PGR students, and a Postdoc Symposium.

Get tickets for our Postdoctoral and research staff symposium

Three staff members chatting at an event in the Nucleus

Celebrating CSE’s Chancellor’s Fellows event, July 2024

So, to come back to the original question. Who is responsible for research culture? Myself as Dean of Research Culture and REF, together with Lisa Guenther the College Research Support Officer (Governance and Research Culture), are the only people in the College who has Research Culture in their job title. However, just like the weather, research culture is pervasive and we cannot be everywhere, all the time. Moreover, it takes more than a two people to create a positive research culture. Just as we all experience a research culture in our daily working lives, we are also all responsible for creating a research culture every day. So the answer to the question, is we all are!

How to get involved?

There are plenty of opportunities to put these responsibilities into practice. Apart from the day-to-day culture you create around you, there are also many ways to contribute to the ongoing conversation and campaign for change in the University and the College. The University RCAP will be refreshed this year – look out for opportunities to influence what the next set of priorities should be. In the College we currently have an open padlet asking for suggestions of how the College can better support Responsible Research College Conversation about Responsible Research and we always welcome engagement and suggestions from any member of the College (please email the College Research Support team via CSE.CRO@ed.ac.uk).

Want to know more? Visit our College SharePoint pages.

Professor Jane Hillston

Professor of Quantitative Modelling &

CSE Dean of Research Culture and REF