Researcher Development Framework
The Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is a guide to your development as a professional researcher, enabling you to identify the strengths you already have and prioritise for personal and career development in the context of future career opportunities.
Co-developed with researchers, institutions, funders and HE professionals, and updated in 2025, the RDF is an incredibly useful tool to identify the skills you need to advance your career. It is informed by interviews with researchers at different stages – real advice from real researchers.
The framework recognises the importance of connections between professional and career development, and initiatives to further knowledge exchange, research integrity, open research and research culture. It presents a holistic model to help you thrive. See the full version on the Vitae website.
Being a successful researcher involves many skills, including communicating your work to others, being aware of its impact and being ethical, innovative, open and enterprising.
The RDF can help you select priorities for your professional development, informing discussions with your principal investigator or research manager. It enables you to consider the skills and experiences that will enhance your career prospects, and articulate your capabilities in grant applications and to future employers.
The RDF sets out the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours of highly skilled researchers in an easily understandable format. It is structured into three sections, which encompass what researchers need to know:
- to do research effectively
- to be effective in their approach to research
- to be effective when working with others and contributing to the wider environment.
The Researcher Development Framework can be useful for:
- aiding self-reflection and to set yourself goals
- identifying your strengths and areas to develop, writing a plan and monitoring progress
- choosing the most appropriate formal and informal development opportunities provided by your institution, and looking for development opportunities outside your research
- preparing for one-to-one progress reviews, ADRs/appraisals and career development conversations with your PI, research manager or mentor
- considering how your skills and experiences will enhance your career prospects
- highlighting, articulating and evidencing your transferable skills and expertise in your CV, grant applications, job applications and at interviews.
How to use it
It’s up to you to decide what your priorities are, the skills you need to develop, and how that can be achieved. Vitae’s online professional development planning course is a good starting point to help you map out your training needs. We also cover development plans in our ECR inductions.
Review the three sections in turn: Researcher, Research, and Research Communities. Each section details various skills or attributes that contribute to becoming an effective researcher. These ‘descriptors’ are broken down into levels or ‘phases’, representing distinct levels of progression within that area.
Using the full version of the RDF, work through each descriptor and decide which phase you are in right now. Remember that the RDF applies to the whole research career, from PGR to senior academic.
From there, work out which skills you need to develop to help you over the next six to 12 months. Use what you’ve found to inform conversations with your PI or manager, and to identify training opportunities. Consider the ECR Development Series and mentoring we offer, activities in your Faculty, and staff development resources.
Further resources
Vitae is an internationally recognised programme dedicated to championing careers in research. It is led by a charity, the Careers Research and Advisory Centre, working to enhance the potential of researchers in the UK.
Vitae’s website has a host of useful resources, including advice for research staff/ECRs and guidance on career development.
To get full access to the website, simply register with your Sussex email address. The University does not subscribe to the separate RDF Planner but you can purchase an annual subscription relatively cheaply.