May 2026 RCEN Meeting Updates
Working group updates, Research Professional Futures project, the Research Precarity Working Group, and upcoming events including the Research Culture Conference.
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As we know, over the past few years research culture as a topic has become much more visible. Today is an opportunity to reflect on that progress and think together about how we can collectively highlight our successes more effectively.
The session is structured around two main themes. First, we will reflect on the positive changes we have seen. Second, we will hear updates from the working groups and consider their future direction.
We are pleased to share several upcoming opportunities from the National Centre for Research Culture. We host monthly convening and knowledge-sharing activities, alternating between this Enablers Meeting and our Conversation Series, which allows for deeper exploration of specific topics.
Next month's Conversation Series will feature colleagues from Nottingham who will discuss the inclusive research culture resources they have been developing collaboratively.
Our annual Research Culture Conference will take place over two days this year. There will be an online day on 21 September, followed by a hybrid and in-person day on 23 September. The team received more than 130 abstracts, which demonstrates the continued strength and activity of the research culture community.
There is also an upcoming International Consortium for Research Culture event, hosted as a hybrid symposium by Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
A further update concerns the Research Professional Futures project, a UK-wide programme funded through the Research England Development Fund. The programme aims to reshape how research is delivered in the UK by improving the visibility, recognition, training and career pathways of the diverse community of research professionals who are essential to research excellence.
The project began in January, and two important surveys will be launched soon β one individual and one institutional. Contributions from colleagues in roles represented here will be particularly valuable. When the institutional survey reaches your organisation, any support you can provide to ensure harder-to-reach groups are represented would be greatly appreciated.
Finally, the Research Precarity Working Group, established by Ash Collins, remains open to new members through three workstreams: Data and Evidence; Organising and Outreach; and Making the Ask. Please contact Ash if you would like to get involved.