Professional services staff within Higher Education Institutions support the good conduct of research and are key drivers of research excellence within the university.

From helping to deliver research impact locally or internationally to ensuring research at the university is conducted ethically and with integrity, there is a kaleidoscope of roles essential to deliver excellent research in a world leading institution.

If you are interested in being part of the team, don’t miss this session. This session will offer researchers the opportunity to hear from individuals that have utilised their experience as researchers to successfully pursue diverse career paths within the Higher Education sector.

Our panellists:

Helen Carstairs – Knowledge Exchange and Impact Manage, Innovation & Engagement Team: Helen’s doctoral work at the Life Sciences Interface DTC and Department of Physics at University of Oxford was an interdisciplinary project to design and characterise nanoscale shuttles self-assembled from DNA and molecular motors. Postdoctoral research collaborating with the Marie Curie Research Institute and University of Warwick followed. She joined the Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team in 2013 working to support, promote and coordinate knowledge exchange and impact activities across the University, and engagement with the region. The role has evolved as the team has grown and she now leads the Regional Engagement and Knowledge Exchange function within the wider Innovation and Engagement Team.

Rachel Lloyd – Operations and Training Lead, Research Governance, Ethics and Assurance Team

Monica Palmero Fernandez – Research Practice Coordinator, Research Strategy & Policy Unit: I am an archaeologist and Oxford University’s Research Practice Coordinator. My interests include the formation of structures of power and inequality in antiquity, and addressing inequitable contemporary archaeological practice in the Middle East. After obtaining my PhD from the University of Reading in 2019, I worked as Lecturer at the University of Glasgow before joining the newly formed Research Practice team at the University of Oxford in 2023, where I am focusing on developing a comprehensive programme of knowledge, training, resources and policy to support more robust, open, and equitable research.