Reports

This report features case studies from our founding signatory institutions, detailing their progress and impact in enhancing the visibility, recognition, career development and sustianability of their technical staff since the establishment of the Technician Commitment in 2017. From showcasing innovative strategies to highlighting tangible impacts on technical staff and the wider research and teaching community, these case studies offer an insight into the progress made and the transformative power of valuing technical expertise within higher education and research institutes.

Published 15 May 2024.

MI TALENT has published a new national report that reveals unprecedented insights into how technical staff in higher education and research support critical health and safety activities in September 2023.

It evidences that skilled, specialised technical professionals are vital to the safe running of institutions and publishes ten recommendations for employers, technicians and professional bodies to ensure the technical workforce is supported to maintain safe research and teaching spaces.

Published September 2023.

The Academy of Medical Sciences’ cross-sector events programme, FORUM, ran a workshop in March 2023 titled ‘enabling environmentally sustainable biomedical research’.

Some key points from the workshop report include the need for:

• Environmental sustainability to be prioritised in the biomedical research ecosystem
• The development of additional evidence and tools to enable greener practices
• The acceleration of greener practices in clinical research
• Changes in research culture to promote greener behaviours.

Published May 2023.

An independent report has revealed that national recommendations to strengthen the UK’s technical workforce in HE and research would have significant economic benefits and could contribute more than £100m in GDP terms.

The Economic Benefits of Implementing the TALENT Commission has been published by Frontier Economics a year after the Research England funded TALENT programme’s flagship TALENT Commission report.  The TALENT Commission report highlights and addresses the challenges facing the technical profession and includes 16 recommendations to address these, ensuring the UK has future technical skills to meet demand from emerging sectors.

Frontier Economics’ independent report assesses the economic benefits of these national recommendations using early evidence on changes implemented to date through four case studies. It explains how improvements to technical recruitment, development opportunities and pathways, decision making, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and recognition impact on institutional output and outcomes, and in turn economic productivity.

Published 7 March 2023.

The Research Technical Professional Career Pathway has been developed to meet three aims: recruitment, retention and recognition. It was created in support of the University of Liverpool's Technician Commitment action plan and some of the key recommendations from the UKRI & Research England TALENT Commission report. 

Published 2 February 2023.

This report shares new insights on research culture including themes on:

1. Institutional behaviours
2. Research quality and integrity
3. Recognition and visibility

A number of recommendations are also made to guide organisations who are looking to make positive changes to their research culture, with opportunities for technicians to engage in the journey.

Published 20 September 2022.

An evaluative study, carried out by York Consulting, examined the impact and progress of the Technician Commitment which found that a good range of governance and support has been put in place to develop the Technician Commitment at institutional, regional and national level.

Published November 2021.

Technicians are a crucial part of the research and innovation system and there is a huge diversity of technical roles that contribute right across the sector. Due to this diversity, technical roles, especially in higher education, are resourced in a range of ways. Here we provide a brief explainer on how technical roles can be resourced across funding mechanisms in higher education, research and innovation.

Published 24 September 2021.

This research was undertaken in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. This report highlights a number of EDI issues experienced by the participants. Whilst sometimes long-standing, these issues have been affected by lockdowns and Covid-19 safety measures. In light of this, and in order to provide timely information and findings related to the pandemic, this report provides interim findings on the research journey to date.

Published 8 February 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global social and economic disruption. Higher education and research institutions have been essential to the response to the pandemic, reprioritising research to tackle the virus, contributing to the national testing effort, donating PPE to the health and care sectors, developing vaccines and transferring teaching online, whilst ensuring support for their student, staff and local communities.

Published 20 August 2020.

For the first time, utilising quantitative data and qualitative feedback from national workshops and presentations, this report identifies the equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) challenges facing the technical community in UK higher education and provides sector recommendations to advance equality, diversity and inclusion for all.

Published 14 November 2019.

Technicians: Providing frontline and vital support for student health and wellbeing,” was developed by a collaborative team from the Technician Commitment, Science Council, Institute of Physics, Royal Society of Biology, Royal Society of Chemistry, University of Liverpool and University of Nottingham.

Published 20 June 2019.

On 6 November 2018, the Technician Commitment launched its first report – Technician Commitment: One year in.