One Year On: Supporting Pathways to Success – a vision for increased researcher mobility

A national innovation system which supports and enables researchers to openly and freely move between sectors through their career is crucial to maintaining a world-leading research and innovation system in the UK.

To advance this, last year NCUB established the Researcher Career Mobility Taskforce, which brought together senior leaders from industry and academia to recommend ambitious changes aimed at creating a more dynamic, interconnected research workforce.

Marking one year on since the publication of the Taskforce’s report, Pathways to Success, this Autumn NCUB launched a new report which builds on the 2023 case for action, and demonstrates why now – in the early days of a new Government – supporting researchers to thrive is a key component for delivering innovation, and increasing productivity and growth.

This important milestone report was launched in a webinar last week which reconvened the sector in a call to action. In the event, NCUB CEO Dr Joe Marshall was joined by UKRI CEO, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, Professor Dame Karen Holford, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor at Cranfield University and Professor Florence Lam, Arup Fellow to discuss the report’s insights and the enduring recommendations. The webinar showcased these leader’s own diverse careers, and the actions taken across UKRI and in universities and businesses to support greater staff movement.

In this blog, Danni Croucher (Policy Impact Lead) shares insights from the report. If you missed it, watch a recording of the launch webinar online.

The economic, political and policy landscape has changed in the last year

In the past year, the political and economic context in the UK has shifted significantly. The new Government brings fresh political direction, and with it, a focus on national missions.

Initiatives such as the formation of Skills England signal upcoming policy shifts aimed at meeting future skills needs, and this focus has been strengthened through the Industrial Strategy Green Paper – which positions people and skills at the heart of a pro-business UK.

Both universities and businesses are adjusting to political and policy changes, while grappling with economic challenges, such as financial sustainability, inflation and persistently high interest rates, and workforce skills gaps.

Mobility is a critical tool to deliver impact

Against the backdrop of changes facing researchers, the organisations they work for, and the UK economy as a whole, the need for greater support for staff mobility has never been stronger.

NCUB’s one year on report demonstrates that by creating a system with greater levels of researcher mobility, the nation will enjoy improved business outcomes and an increase in productivity and the impact from innovation. Research staff with stronger networks and more diverse experiences and skills improve cohesion across the innovation sector – deepening the absorptive capacity of organisations and making the UK a more impactful and attractive research destination.

Progress has been promising

Over the last two years, NCUB has engaged extensively with stakeholders, including policymakers, universities, and businesses, to assess the state of intersectoral mobility in the UK.

There are range of supportive policies, programmes and structures working to support this agenda, and since 2023, there has been positive progress in implementing recommendations under the Taskforce’s three main themes; Integrated System, Innovative Organisations, and Individual Pathways.

Funders have driven a range of activities to create a policy system that supports researcher mobility, and to promote diverse careers. It remains an agenda of high priority at the very top of UKRI, while elsewhere in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), improved data collection on researcher’s career moves and future intention will enable improved tracking of progress.

The 2024 report features case studies and contributions from key change-makers, offering valuable insights into ongoing initiatives, and enabling the sector to share learnings, best practice and explore new approaches for the future.

However, moving to a system which by-design supports agile, dynamic and diverse researcher careers will take sustained effort from all stakeholders within the innovation system, and achieving the Taskforce’s recommendations will take time.

Looking ahead, in 2024 we have identified four critical areas of activity to prioritise to continue to drive impact:

1. Enhance business-to-academia mobility through publicly funded initiatives.
2. Embed mobility as a core component within the reformed Research Excellence Framework (REF).
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of publicly funded mobility mechanisms and schemes.
4. Scale-up best practices in organisations.

To achieve this, we need all parts of our research system to engage with these asks and play their role.

Commitment to Future Action

Intersectoral mobility has the potential to significantly contribute to the Government’s key missions, and could be a tool for achieving economic growth. Ahead of next week’s Autumn Budget, NCUB makes the case that continued support for innovation, and the people and skills which power it, is critical.

As the Chancellor provides clarity on the direction of travel for innovation and fiscal policy in the coming weeks, NCUB remains committed to promoting solutions for improving the skills and capacity of researchers and innovation bodies, and enhancing researcher mobility. In the coming years, we will continue to share emerging best practices, provide evidence on the evolving landscape of mobility, and assess the ongoing challenges and opportunities. The journey toward a more interconnected and dynamic research workforce is well underway, and NCUB will continue to champion this vision.