Career Development Reviews and Professional Development time tracking for researchers

The Charter only covers staff who are employed by the University. Researchers employed by colleges (eg Junior Research Fellows) should speak to their college about what is provided for them. For Oxford’s Concordat commitments, researchers are defined as individuals who:

• Have research as their primary responsibility (ie are employed specifically for this purpose).
• Are employed on fixed-term or open-ended, externally-funded contracts.
• Hold posts on grades 6–9 (inclusive) under the University's HESA-aligned staff classification of either 'Research Fellow' or 'Research Staff' (ie where the primary employment function is academic research).

Historically, departments relied on manual processes to manage CDRs, with some recently adopting independent systems. While these systems may offer useful features, they are not connected to the central HR database, can incur additional costs, and may not fully align with University policies and practices. Without consolidated data, it’s also challenging for the University to track CDR and Professional Development uptake effectively. 

This rollout supports a more integrated, cost-effective, and consistent approach to support updated initiatives across the University. As part of a phased rollout, HR Self-Service will gradually begin to offer: 

• Streamlined access: Staff can manage leave, absence, payslips, P60s, and other employment data in one place. Researchers and their reviewers will also be able to record CDRs and log Professional Development time.
• Enhanced reporting: Centralised data allows the University to identify workforce trends, enabling proactive improvements to practices and processes.
• Policy alignment and compliance: Using one system across the University reduces risks associated with non-compliance and strengthens our adherence to best practice. 
• Concordat action plan: This rollout supports the University's concordat action plan by enhancing and enabling CDR and Professional Development recording for researchers. 

We’re committed to making this an easy transition. As part of the rollout, we’re offering: 

• Training and guidance: Quick video guides, step-by-step instructions, covering how to use the system, along with best practice for CDRs and PCDRs 
• Help resources: Find clear, accessible guides on the HR Self-Service website to answer any questions - these will be published shortly 
• Ongoing updates: Email updates will be shared as your department prepares to adopt the new features, and these HR Self-Service pages will be updated as needed to keep you informed 

1. How do I know when my department will go live?

   Your department’s rollout schedule will be shared by your HR team in advance.

2. Why is this just aimed at Researchers? 

The project focuses on supporting our institutional commitments to the national Concordat to support the Career Development of Researchers by enabling CDRs and professional development time for researchers* within HR Self-Service.

*The Charter only covers staff who are employed by the University. Researchers employed by colleges (eg Junior Research Fellows) should speak to their college about what is provided for them. For Oxford’s Concordat commitments, researchers are defined as individuals who:

• Have research as their primary responsibility (ie employed specifically for this purpose)
• Are employed on fixed-term or open-ended, externally-funded contracts
• Are in posts on grades 6–9 (inclusive) under the University's HESA-aligned staff classification of either 'Research Fellow' or 'Research Staff' (ie where the primary employment function is academic research).