Vitae are seeking views on the proposed new Researcher development framework for researchers in the UK. Anyone can respond to the consultation, and they are keen to receive responses from:

• Researchers: anyone conducting research in a UK university or research institute, regardless of wheither this is their primary role
• Supervisors, Principal Investigators and managers of researchers
• Higher education institutions (HEIs)
• Other staff in HEIs that support researchers (such as senior managers, trainers, developers, HR and careers advisors)
• Employers who currently or potentially will recruit researchers from UK HEIs
• Individuals considering becoming a postgraduate researcher or research staff member
• Organisations with an interest in developing researchers

The proposed framework has been created as a tool for planning, promoting and supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers in higher education. It describes the knowledge, skills, behaviours and personal qualities of researchers and encourages researchers to aspire to excellence through achieving higher levels of development.

The consultation will allow you to comment on any or all of the following aspects of the framework:

• as a national framework for researcher development
• meeting the development needs of individual researchers and the needs of organisations which support them
• the current and future skill needs of researchers

The consultation is open until Friday 11 December 2009. For more information see the Vitae website.