Public Engagement and Your Career

Public engagement and your career

Research Councils UK (RCUK) believe that public engagement should be a part of every skilled researcher’s portfolio. Engaging with a non-specialist audience can enhance skills including improved communication and influencing skills. Other benefits include a higher personal and institutional profile and forming new partnerships from networking opportunities. The increasing number of researchers engaging with the public find it enjoyable, rewarding and that it provides enhanced career progression.

The Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF)

The RDF is a major new approach to researcher development, which aims to enhance our capacity to build the UK workforce, develop world-class researchers and build our research base. The RDF describes the knowledge, behaviours and attitudes of researchers and encourages them to aspire to excellence through achieving higher levels of development. It will be invaluable for planning, promoting and supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers in higher education. Developing skills in public engagement has strong links with Domain D: Engagement, influence and impact and may also be useful for other areas of your career.