Policies

The university has a series of research policies, for researchers to refer and adhere to. They are either explained more fully in the tabs above or available for download below - all are also available on Blackboard;

• Good Research Practice
• Postgraduate Research Student Code of Practice
• Fees policy 2016/2017 (link opens in UHI Intranet so will not work outwith the university network)
• Ethics framework and policies section
• Open Access Policy (research publishing). Read more about Open Access on the dedicated web page.
• Research Data Management policy (currently being re-written)
• Data Protection, including GDPR
• Turnitin Policy and Guidance
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusiveness Policy
• Health and safety policies
• Anti-bribery policy
• Health Research Governance and QA Policy

If you are looking for the wider university policies (Freedom of Information, Academic Standards, risk management, adverse events) then please visit the ' Policies and Regulations' page.

Researcher Concordat

The UK Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers is an agreement between funders and employers of research staff to improve the employment and support for researchers and research careers in UK higher education. It sets out clear standards that research staff can expect from the institution that employs them, as well as their responsibilities as researchers.

It includes the principles for support and management of researcher careers and covers the expectations and responsibilities of researchers, their managers, employers and funders in supporting research careers. Seven key principles provide the framework for research policy with regards to building and sustaining a successful research career. The university has attempted to embed these principals to research policy, where ever possible, and continues to strive to incorporate ‘Best Practice’ methods at an institutional level.

The Concordat Principles

These apply equally to any member of staff engaged in research and provide a framework of good practice for the management of all researchers and their careers:

• 1. Recognition of the importance of recruiting, selecting and retaining researchers with the highest potential to achieve excellence in research.
• 2. Researchers are recognised and valued by their employing organisation as an essential part of their organisation's human resources and a key component of their overall strategy to develop and deliver world-class research.
• 3. Researchers are equipped and supported to be adaptable and flexible in an increasingly diverse, mobile, global research environment.
• 4. The importance of researchers' personal and career development, and lifelong learning, is clearly recognised and promoted at all stages of their career.
• 5. Individual researchers share the responsibility for and need to pro-actively engage in their own personal and career development, and lifelong learning.
• 6. Diversity and equality must be promoted in all aspects of the recruitment and career management of researchers.
• 7. The sector and all stakeholders will undertake regular and collective review of their progress in strengthening the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK.

More information on the Researcher Concordat can be read at the Vitae Concordat page, including briefing notes for stakeholders, background and details of related initiatives across Europe.