A new report published by Vitae examines current practices and key challenges in how the impact of researcher development activities is evidenced across the sector.
Based on a survey of 51 researcher development professionals in the United Kingdom, conducted in autumn 2025, the report shows that career development and progression remain the most commonly identified purpose of researcher development work, cited by 88% of respondents. Despite this strong focus, the findings indicate that evidence of long-term career outcomes is still limited.
Most institutions report collecting data on participation and engagement in development activities, but significantly fewer are able to demonstrate sustained career progression or long-term impact. Only a small number of respondents report having robust or systematic evidence in this area.
The report highlights a broader methodological challenge: existing evaluation approaches tend to prioritise short-term, quantitative indicators, which may not fully capture deeper or longer-term changes in researchers’ careers, skills, and professional behaviour.
In response, it points to the need for more longitudinal approaches and narrative-based evidence frameworks that can better reflect the complexity of researcher development and its outcomes over time.
These findings contribute to ongoing discussions within the sector about how to more effectively define, capture, and communicate the value of researcher development activities.
Full report: https://vitae.ac.uk/policy/evidencing-researcher-development-current-practice-challenges-and-implications/
Photo: Daria Nepriakhina/Unsplash
