Each department in the Medical Sciences Division has a research staff representative in the MSD Staff Forum, which discusses wide-ranging issues affecting researchers and provides a two-way connection between research staff in departments and Divisional and University governance structures.
The day-long workshop on Tuesday 29 March brought together the representatives in person for the first time, enabling community building, networking, and a renewed positivity about representation. The theme of the day was ‘Building our individual and collective capability to shape the research culture in Medical Sciences Division’, facilitated by change practitioners Liz Wiggins and Izi Read from BlueMorph Ltd who had shaped the programme alongside the Forum chairs, Irina Chelysheva (Department of Paediatrics) and Dexter Canoy (Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health).
The representatives appreciated the opportunity to think about the visible and hidden components of organisational cultures. There was a strong sense of collective purpose, much common ground across departments and career stages, and momentum to make positive changes in the research culture of the Division and beyond.