RENEEW - Research Culture Networking, Empowerment, Engagement, and Wellbeing

A positive research culture is a priority for University College Dublin and since 2021, UCD has been proactively engaged in a Research Culture Initiative. Our team designed and implemented a comprehensive survey of the UCD research community to assess their perceptions of research culture. Through our work to date, we have identified barriers to a supportive research culture at micro and macro levels, specific to career types and stages, and to disciplinary area. We determined that these barriers largely arise from poor communication and the perception of uneven recognition for contributions to research. Here, we propose interventions to address our core challenge by Empowering and Engaging our Research Community in fostering a supportive Research Culture, and hence, enhancing Researcher Wellbeing. RENEEW will engage our research community in why research culture matters, and empower diverse groups and individuals to implement local initiatives that will serve as exemplars of good practice. Increased engagement and empowerment will enhance researcher wellbeing, and we will put in place new processes to monitor this. We will amplify the impact of our work outside UCD, by forming, in collaboration with colleagues in QUB, an All-island Research Culture Network, allowing for mutual learning and sharing of best practice.