A wide range of people and roles are part of the UK’s research and innovation success, including researchers, technicians, archivists, methodologists and many others. However, there are long‑standing challenges, such as career precarity and the lack of clear career pathways and development opportunities for critical roles like technicians.
Addressing these issues is essential to meet future research needs and sustain excellence. By changing what we recognise and reward we aim to create an environment where:
- staffing models reduce precarity
- workloads are sustainable
- career support and development are strengthened
- technical and specialist capabilities are resilient and valued
People and teams action plan
This ambition is reflected in the UKRI people and teams action plan, which sets out how we will support people across the system. The plan is organised around four pillars:
- UKRI as an employer: how we support our own people and teams, ensuring they have the conditions, development opportunities, and recognition needed to succeed
- Assessment: what we reward, and how we ensure our assessment practices recognise a broader and more inclusive set of contributions to research and innovation
- Expectations and assurance: being clear about what we are investing in, and how our expectations shape behaviours, culture, and capability across the system
- Engagement: how we work with and support the wider sector, including partners, institutions, and communities of practice
Our people and teams action plan brings together our responsibilities as an research and innovation employer, investor, and sector leader.
What we are doing
We introduced a set of roles in funding applications, all eligible for indirect and estates costs to:
- recognise the importance of all members of research teams
- improve cost recovery
- improve sustainability of technical and specialist functions
We are running a programme of pilots to test interventions in funding decision making to:
- embed incentives for diversifying staffing models
- build capability
- reduce delivery and reputational risks
- improve value for money
We are investing in and working with the Institute for Technical Skills and Strategy to raise the profile of and support the range of technical and specialist professionals needed to deliver research and innovation.
Concordats we have signed
UKRI is signatory to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers. The concordat is a framework co-created in consultation with the sector, providing a consensus view of the support and development needs of researchers.
UKRI is also signatory to the Technician Commitment, which is a cross-sector initiative to improve the visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability of technical careers in higher education.
The Arts and Humanities Research Council has published a statement of commitment to the concordat, outlining the specific actions it will take to support researchers in the arts and humanities.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) Harwell and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) have developed additional action plans to support the technicians UKRI employs at these sites:
Last updated: 26 March 2026