Research culture: let's reimagine how we work together
We want to hear your solutions to improve research culture. As a funder we need to play our part, and your role is essential. Achieving a successful research culture needs collective responsibility and change at all levels. Your ideas will help us to craft a set of ambitious goals for creating a better culture.
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Thousands of researchers have taken part in the largest ever survey into experiences of research culture. Now we want to hear your solutions to some of the concerns that have been raised. Your ideas will help us craft a set of ambitious goals for creating a better culture.
Check out the ideas that have already been suggested below, comment and vote for the ones you think could make a difference. Or you can add your own idea following this format (you'll need to create an account to vote and add responses).
Add your idea:
Title of your idea/solution
Enter a short description (optional):
1) A brief description - who can make the change and how?
2) Examples of what you could do to support this change.
3) Stick to under 250 words.
4) If you want, you can tag your institution!
Help us make sure everyone feels safe and free to engage in discussions. Don't be rude, hateful or insulting--we will not tolerate this. You can respectfully challenge ideas but never attack the person. Check out our forum etiquette and moderation rules.
Find out more about Wellcome's campaign to reimagine research.
View All Ideasabout 1 year ago
Funders responsible for holding PIs to account for behaviour
While funding comes from outside bodies to specific researchers, universities have little incentive to effectively deal with complaints against bullying supervisors as they would lose the research funding. If complaints were directed to the funding body, a promise could be made to reallocate money to another researcher to be based at the same institution in the event of behaviour serious enough to warrant withdrawal of funds. The University would no longer have a financial incentive not to dismiss or discipline group leaders who are breaking codes of conduct.
about 1 year ago
Accountability through audit and appropriate reporting.
When a PI receives a grant, they obtain an incredible amount of power, and with this, responsibility. However, I have not seen funders hold PIs to account and this has resulted in terrible abuses of power, poor practice, and ultimately, terrible returns (scientifically, economically, and on the health of the individuals involved) on research funding. This is solvable though, through funders increasing the accountability. By auditing the PI and their group, talking to the people doing the work, and truly assessing the output (not just scientific) of the funded research, a better system will evolve that judges the PI more holistically and can help guide their future funding applications. Sadly, heads of departments, from my observed experiences, seem dis-engaged and don't really have any interest to cause trouble for a PI bringing in grant money, at the expenses of a solitary PhD or Post-doc employee. Therefore, the grant funders, who are in charge of the purse strings, must step up their efforts to help improve the research culture and outputs by prioritising and assessing the appropriate outputs.
10 months ago
Ask host institutions to confirm ring fenced working hours
At present, universities mostly don't have to prove whether their teaching and admin workload is feasible. As a result, it often spills into working hours that should be used for research. Ask universities for a statement on weekly teaching hours, preparation, marking and administrative duties, and how this time would be managed.
5 months ago
Line manager training for Postgrads and postdocs
Go further than mandatory line manager training for PIs - make it available for postgrads (who supervise undergrads) and postdocs (who supervise postgrads) so people know early on what good line management is from the beginning, so postgrads etc feel empowered and responsible at work, and so they know how to do it well when they become PIs themselves.
10 months ago
Funders should request recommendation/evaluation letters from trainees when senior scientists apply for funding
Currently, we (trainees) need recommendation letters from our PIs when applying for funding - why not the other way around as well? This will also allow us to acknowledge senior scientists who are key to scientific progress through their mentorship but who are not necessarily publishing a Nature paper once a year (perhaps because they are extra busy providing the right support to their trainees). Beyond rewarding the 'good', bullies will hopefully have a hard time competing in a system like this. More generally, it will promote a supportive research culture across career stages and almost certainly lead to better/more collaborative research overall.
