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University of Bath

Departmental Research Staff Leads

DRSLs support departments in enacting the Code of Practice for the Employment of Research Staff and feedback on progress to the Departmental Research Committee

Research Staff are the university employees who are dedicated to research or supporting research 100% of their time. More precisely the term refers to employees at grades 5 to 8 employed on temporary research contracts. Typically, their job titles will be Research Assistant, Research Associate or Research Fellow, and many of them are known as postdocs.

DRSLs are a team of staff across the university, representing almost every department, each of whom is tasked with supporting Research Staff within their department. This will mean different things in each case; however, the unifying purpose is to ensure that every member of Research Staff is welcomed and integrated into their department and is able to voice opinions on decisions which affect them.

Activities

The University of Bath has committed to an Action Plan outlining the way we will support researchers, and the DRSLs play a key role in this support network. The DRSLs are encouraged to work collaboratively, and to support the Researcher Development Manager in delivering the targets of the HR Excellence in Research Action Plan.

The DRSLs across all departments meet biannually to share examples of best practice in supporting research staff. These meetings are convened by the chair of the Research Staff Working Group, and the Research Development Manager.

Activities of the DRSL include:

  • Welcoming every new member of research staff to Bath, on behalf of the Head of Department.
  • Supporting PIs in providing induction to research staff.
  • Facilitating the assignment of mentors to all Research Staff who would like one.
  • Ensuring that Research Staff can voice their opinions at a departmental level, in part by ensuring their representation in key departmental committees, especially those focusing on Research and EDI.
  • Facilitating the provision of annual Career Conversations for Research Staff.
  • Helping in developing or signposting the departmental career development sessions for all Research Staff.
  • Ensuring that the career development opportunities organised at university-level are disseminated and advertised to Research Staff.

DRSLs

Vacancies

  • Architecture & Civil Engineering - vacancy
  • Chemical Engineering - vacancy
  • Electronic & Electrical Engineering - vacancy
  • Social and Policy Sciences - vacancy