About Vitae

CRAC has been a pivotal force in career development for researchers in higher education since 1968, when we ran our first project to support transitions of doctoral researchers to industry. Much of our work has been funded by the UK Research Councils and we have played a key role in the UK drives for high-level skills, innovation and world-class researchers. This has included the UK GRAD programme and subsequently Vitae. For details of current activities, see the Vitae Website.

Increasingly our work with researchers is international, helping institutions, research funders and others with an interest in supporting researchers' careers.

Vitae is the global leader in supporting the professional development of researchers, experienced in working with institutions as they strive for research excellence, innovation and impact.

Vitae logo

Vitae Mission

Realising the potential of researchers, globally

STRATEGIC AIMS:

  • Influence the development and implementation of effective policy relating to researcher development
  • Enhance higher education provision to train and develop researchers
  • Empower researchers to make an impact in their careers
  • Evidence the impact of professional and career development support for researchers

Membership - Join us

Working together to realise the potential of researchers by supporting:

Researchers

Communicate your research

1,200+ researchers from member institutions take part each year

Find out more about 3MT® 2018

Access online resources

Focus on your professional development by:

Join the conversation

Connect with likeminded researchers via Vitae’s digital network of Community groups

Follow us at @Vitae_news to get updates and trends in professional development for researchers

Let us know your thoughts about the research environment at #vitae18

Researcher developers

Demonstrate impact

Access Vitae reports and publications for sector intelligence and benchmarking insights:

Vitae Annual Report for sector insights at the national and global level

Five Steps Forward for progress in implementing the UK Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers

Share Best Practices

Attend Vitae events to network with colleagues from across the UK, Europe, America, Australasia and Japan to share evidence-based best practices

Develop Yourself

Enhance your career and yourself through professional development opportunities

Institutions

Shape Policy

Partnering with policy leaders on the review of UK Concordat

Vitae supports over 40 member institutions with submission for the HR Excellence in Research Award

Build Capacity

Supporting over 30 member institutions with funding bids. Recent successful bids include:

  • EPSRC Inclusion Matters
  • Resarch England Catalyst Fund to support mental health & wellbeing for postgraduate researchers
  • Marie Sklosowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN-ETN)

Think Globally

Capacity building projects in over 20 countries:

  • EURAXESS - working with European partners on interesctoral mobility
  • CIRCLE - working in sub-Saharan Africa to enhance researcher development capacity and support climate change Fellows
  • La Caixa and Polonez - professional development programmes for doctoral and postdoctoral fellows in Spain and Poland

Services

What Vitae offers

Tree with leaves of hands waving

MEMBERSHIP

Working together to realise the potential of researchers

Collage of images from Vitae Conference 2017

EVENTS

From member seminars to the Vitae International Researcher Development Conference

Image of card sorting activity from training workshop

TRAINING

Workshops, mentoring, webinars and consultancy

Photo of What Do Researchers Do Next report

PUBLICATIONS

Printed and online reports, booklets and leaflets

Screenshot of Vitae RDF Planner online application

RDF PLANNER

Professional development planning. Map your skills and attributes to the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF)

Image representing Vitae online communities

COMMUNITIES

Join our online network for members to share practice, discuss the latest policy implications, innovate, and collaborate

Portfolio

Examples of work

Link to Vitae website

Vitae website

Portal for researcher, researcher developer and member organisation resources

Link to Vitae Five Steps Forward report

Five Steps Forward

Report on UK Concordat progress based on the CROS & PIRLS survey

Link to the Vitae Researcher Development Framework on the Vitae website

The Researcher Development Framework

Describes the knowledge, behaviour and attributes of successful researchers

What Vitae members say

"The experiential learning style of Vitae’s training for La Caixa has been refreshingly innovative and memorable.
It will certainly have a long lasting impact on our Fellows"
Paola Isetta, INPhINIT Programme Coordinator, Fellowships Department, La Caixa Foundation

"A delegation from King’s always heads off to the annual Vitae Researcher Development International Conference. It’s an invaluable networking and information gathering opportunity. We always come back with lots of ideas for the year ahead "
Dr Nigel Eady, Director of Research Talent, King’s College London

"Vitae gives access to significant networking opportunities and through attending Vitae events
I have built an extensive network of professional colleagues"
Prof Susan Brooks, Director of Researcher Development Oxford Brookes University

"[The workshop] was eye-opening...
it will enable me to maximise my potential and build a stronger career"
Participant in the Creative Researcher workshop, Belgium

"We are delighted to be Vitae members as this allows us access to leading resources and support
to build our researcher development capabilities in line with our international colleagues"
Alison O'Regan, University of Limerick, Ireland

"The skills and knowledge I have aquired
will improve the institutionalisation of mentoring in my institution"
CIRCLE workshop participant, Kenya, Africa

"Vitae is a distinctively valuable organisation whose work has brought much benefit
to the wider economy supporting skills and the employability of researchers"
Professor Rick Rylance, Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK

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Contact

CRAC

22 Signet Court
Cambridge
CB5 8LA
UK

+44 (0)1223 460277

Charity number: 313164

Companies House Number: 825036

VAT Registration number: GB 100 205 694