Across our faculties and departments, more than 160 technical professionals contribute their expertise to the University’s success. From research technicians and instrument specialists, to purchasing coordinators and teaching technicians, their roles are as diverse as they are essential.
Despite their critical impact, technical colleagues are sometimes unsung heroes and we want to change that. Through #TechTeamBath, we aim to bring their stories to the forefront and ensure their contributions are recognised and celebrated.
Professor Sarah Hainsworth, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) said; "Technical staff are important contributors to our innovation and academic excellence. Their skills, teamwork, problem-solving abilities and expertise support our research which benefits from their insights and know-how. They provide essential contributions that deliver and enable high quality outputs and impact. Delivering the #TechTeamBath campaign was a key priority in our Research Culture Action Plan, reflecting our strong commitment to celebrating and increasing the visibility of the vital contributions our technical staff make to research and teaching at the University.”
We invite you to explore our #TechTeamBath web page, where you can meet some of our outstanding technical staff through a series of short films. Hear from Nathan Taylor and Susanna Martin in the Department of Psychology, James Hickman in the Department of Health, and Laura Michelsen-Cooney and Josh Byers in the Department of Chemistry, as they share insights into their work. You’ll also hear from leaders across the University on why technical teams are so highly valued and critical to the delivery of excellent research.
There is growing recognition across the sector that research is a collective endeavour. Ground-breaking discoveries and academic excellence are made possible through the combined efforts of diverse teams, and it’s time we celebrated all of them.
We are seeing more outputs and papers that are co-published by technical staff which is recognition of the fact that they are key individuals in delivering research. Technical staff are also now eligible to apply for funding grants in their own right. At Bath, the importance of technical input has been recognised by our first Professor from the technical professional community.
Professor Anneke Lubben, Director of Research Infrastructure and Facilities, said; “Technical staff are the glue that keeps everything together. They're the people who make sure that research and teaching is delivered to an excellent standard - they're usually invisible, but they're critical.”
As part of the celebrations, we are hosting a summer picnic for all technical colleagues on Thursday 26 June, from 12:00 to 15:00. We encourage all technical staff at the University of Bath to sign up to attend.
TechTeamBath is a key feature of Research Culture Month and forms part of the University’s broader Research Culture Action Plan which is committed to fostering a more inclusive, collaborative, and supportive research environment for all.