Navigating Researcher Developer career trajectories: a perspective from beyond Higher Education

Authors

  • John Miles Inkpath Limited

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi33.1237

Keywords:

researcher development, careers, skills, higher education

Abstract

This opinion piece explores the evolving professional landscape for Researcher Developers within and beyond the confines of academia, reflecting on the author's experiences as a former researcher and Researcher Developer. It discusses the multifaceted skill set required in the Researcher Developer role and considers the opportunities for Researcher Developers to advance within their institutions or pivot to roles in different sectors, exploiting their unique skills and experience. The importance of collaboration is underscored as an essential element for professional advancement, and synergies are drawn between the mindset of Researcher Developers and that of entrepreneurs, advocating for recognition of their critical contribution to the academic ecosystem and beyond.

Author Biography

John Miles, Inkpath Limited

John Miles is Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Inkpath, the skills and career-development platform, and a former Research Associate at Wadham College at the University of Oxford. Before spinning Inkpath out of the university, he served as Training Officer for the University of Oxford’s Humanities Division and the Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities. John led the professional and personal-development programme for doctoral students and early career researchers across the humanities. Prior to this, he taught Shakespeare and Renaissance literature in the English Department at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he was Caroline Spurgeon Research Fellow.

References

Freeman, R.P.J. and Price, A.M. (2024) ‘Researcher developers: an emerging third space profession’, London Review of Education, 22(1), p.25. Available at: https://doi.org/10.14324/LRE.22.1.25

Seikkula-Leino, J. and Salomaa, M. (2020) ‘Entrepreneurial competencies and organisational change: assessing entrepreneurial staff competencies within higher education institutions’, Sustainability, 12(18), p.7323. Available at https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187323

Universities UK (2021) The concordat to support the career development of researchers. Available at: https://researcherdevelopmentconcordat.ac.uk/ (Accessed: 23 September 2024).

Vitae (2020) The Vitae career framework for researcher developers (CFRD). Available at: https://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers-professional-development/practical-resources-for-researcher-developers-1/the-vitae-career-framework-for-researcher-developers-cfrd (Accessed: 23 September 2024).

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Published

30-01-2025

How to Cite

Miles, J. (2025) “Navigating Researcher Developer career trajectories: a perspective from beyond Higher Education”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (33). doi: 10.47408/jldhe.vi33.1237.

Issue

No. 33 (2025): Special Edition, Third Space In HE

Section

Careers and professional development

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education

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