Vitae Researcher Development Framework

Introduction

The 2025 Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is a refreshed, forward-looking model for identifying and cultivating the skills, knowledge, and behaviours required of researchers in an evolving global landscape. The updated framework reflects the growing importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, digital fluency, research integrity, and real-world impact, while continuing to organise researcher capabilities across core domains, including knowledge and intellectual abilities, personal effectiveness, research governance and organisation, and engagement and influence. It is designed not only as a tool for individual career development but also as a strategic resource for institutions seeking to support diverse research careers, foster inclusive research cultures, and align researcher capabilities with societal and industry needs.

Researcher

The Researcher domain sits at the heart of the 2025 Vitae RDF and focuses on the personal and professional values, behaviours, and mindsets that underpin effective research practice. It recognises researchers as reflective, motivated, and responsible individuals who actively shape their development and career pathways. This domain emphasises curiosity, adaptability, collaboration, and strategic thinking, encouraging researchers to engage critically with their work, assumptions, and wider impacts. By supporting goal-setting, self-reflection, and continuous professional development, the Researcher domain enables individuals to navigate change, build resilience, and transfer skills across roles, sectors, and contexts. It highlights the importance of ethical responsibility, inclusivity, and reflexivity in research, ensuring researchers consider the social, environmental, and human consequences of their work. This domain empowers researchers to take ownership of their growth while contributing to research excellence and culture.

Research

The Research domain encompasses the knowledge and skills required to design, conduct, manage, and deliver high-quality research that achieves impactful outcomes. It spans subject knowledge, research methods, information and data literacy, digital capabilities, critical thinking, creativity, and innovation, alongside effective research management and engagement practices. This domain emphasises research integrity, open research, ethical conduct, and robust project, funding, and risk management. It also recognises the importance of communication, diverse research outputs, knowledge exchange, public engagement, and research translation. By integrating these capabilities, researchers are empowered to deliver rigorous, transparent, and socially relevant research. Aligned with evolving research landscapes, the domain encourages interdisciplinary and cross-sector approaches, ensuring research is adaptable, responsive, and impactful. It supports researchers at all career stages to develop the confidence and competence needed to advance knowledge, inform policy, and contribute to economic, environmental, and societal benefit.

Research Communities

The Research Communities domain reflects the collaborative nature of research and the shared responsibility for building inclusive, supportive, and high-performing research environments. It focuses on the collaborative knowledge and skills including research culture, teamwork, leadership, supervision, coaching, mentoring, and networking. This domain promotes equitable collaboration, transparency, and mutual respect, recognising that diverse contributions enhance research quality and impact. It encourages leadership at all levels, from informal influence to strategic, system-level engagement and with a focus on effective people management and mentoring. By prioritising wellbeing, integrity, and belonging, the Research Communities domain underscores the importance of positive research cultures in enabling excellence. It helps researchers build strong local, national, and international networks, fostering collaboration, shared learning, and collective progress across the research ecosystem.