MPLS Research Staff Forum Co-Chair role definition
The role of the Co-Chair of MPLS Research Staff Forum is to share with their fellow Co-Chair the responsibility of representing the interests of research staff from the MPLS departments at divisional and University level.
In the past the people taking on this role have been very successful in getting policy changed and making a real difference for their fellow research staff. Also they have gone on to gain more senior roles within the University such as: Chair of Oxford Research Staff Society and more recently the Research Staff Consultation Group. This has meant that they have sat on committees such as: University Council and Research and Innovation Committee. They have used these roles to develop their leadership and influencing skills and it is beneficial to their CV.
Each Co-Chair receives £2000 towards their professional development costs. This can be spent on courses or programmes or go towards items such as conference attendance.
Divisional Committee Participation:
Committee |
Role |
Description of committee |
MPLS Research Staff Forum |
Co-Chair |
Research staff representatives meet once termly to discuss issues for research staff within division. |
ECR Forum |
Co-Chair of MPLS RSF &Research staff representative |
Academic champions for research staff meet termly to discuss how departments & division support research staff and address their needs. |
Either Divisional Board |
Co-Chair of MPLS RSF &Research staff representative |
Division governing body which discusses policies that effect research staff. |
Or MPLS Training & Development Steering Group |
Co-Chair of MPLS RSF &Research staff representative |
Has oversight of training and development for researchers and other staff and students within the division. |
University Committee Participation
At a University level they will sit on the Research Staff Consultative Group with other research staff representatives from the divisions, colleges and Oxford Research Staff Society. Please see below the diagram which indicates the positions of these committees within the institution representative structure for research staff.
In all of these roles the Co-Chair is supported by the MPLS Training and Development Manager who acts as secretary to the MPLS Research Staff Forum and the ECR Forum.