The Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is a tool for planning, promoting and supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers in Higher Education. It describes the knowledge, skills, behaviours and personal qualities of researchers and encourages them to aspire to excellence through achieving higher levels of development. The RDF is endorsed by Research Councils UK and other higher education bodies and institutions.
The RDF provides a way for you to assess your strengths and areas for further development to ensure you progress in your career. All GW4 BioMed DTP students will be expected to complete an initial skills audit using the planner before setting themselves SMART training objectives to address their development needs, adding evidence to support the completion of these objectives.
A biomedical ‘lens’ will allow you to focus on those skills which are particularly important to a biomedical researcher. A copy of this can be found in the RDF Planner guide and on Microsoft Teams.
Further information on the RDF can be found below:
- Vitae website: https://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers-professional-development/about-the-vitae-researcher-development-framework-planner
- YouTube Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VIv5MueIC8
If you have any issues accessing or registering the RDF Planner, please contact the RDF helpdesk at rdfplannerhelpdesk@vitae.ac.uk.
RDF Reports
You will be required to submit the following reports to the DTP team in an Excel format by the following dates:
- My Actions: 1st February 2023
- NOTE: Following student feedback, BioMed1 students will be able to complete and submit a training needs analysis (TNA) form instead of an RDF planner if they choose. The TNA form is available from the DTP Hub.