The T-PIKE Framework

The first work package (WP1) is structured around five modules, with a mix of virtual and in-person training to enable RTPs to be flexible in their learning and maximise different pedagogical approaches.

The WP will be managed and facilitated by the T-PIKE manager and KE officers, supported by the PI and RTP Co-Is; training and mentoring will be delivered by a range of external providers, industry collaborators, institutional occupational development teams, KE teams, and academics. Importantly, as the T-PIKE programme develops, RTPs seeking to attain silver and gold will engage in supporting and delivering peer training to their fellow RTPs as part of this WP (e.g. producing materials for module 1, or providing a case study for module 2).

To support inclusivity, in-person training will be primarily clustered in September, early January, June and July to avoid both university and school terms, and thereby allow for more RTPs to engage; nevertheless, many activities (such as mentoring or action learning) will continue year-round
during the programme.

Although there will be no obligation for all participants to engage with all modules, those seeking a bronze award will need to take part in (and demonstrate knowledge of) all five modules.

Module 1 (virtual): Understanding research priority areas critical to industry such as AI, net zero, and wider issues of commercial practice. We will work with external providers (HEaTED, NTDC, YES) including specific training (e.g. ISO accreditation), with internal knowledge and expertise (KE Officers, KTP leads), and with industry collaborators. Working with these providers, a range of learning materials will be produced and made freely and permanently available online (within and beyond T-PIKE), including videos and podcasts, guides and booklets. All RTPs will be able to access these, whether they wish to formally gain a bronze award or not.
Module 2 (in person): Practical skills in KE between universities and organisations in other sectors. Four workshops will be available per year, led by KE-active academics, KE Officers, and T-PIKE external collaborators, and will give RTPs ‘hands on’ experience of exploring practical approaches to KE e.g. creating value propositions, elevator pitches, how to build a professional network. The workshops will involve practice-based learning, dealing with real examples and case studies of KE, or exploring and solving novel industry problems.
Module 3 (in person): Leadership and career development skills. Offered by organisational development teams working across EARC, the RTPs will undertake training and workshop activities on leadership and career development covering topics including practical negotiation, communication skills, line management, project management, and dealing with stress (e.g. as exists in Kent’s ECR Network and Grant Factory training programme).
Module 4 (virtual/in-person): Mentoring. RTPs will have the opportunity to be mentored (by other RTPs, academics, or industry partners, including reverse mentoring) on a one-to-one or small group basis in order to develop their leadership skills, build their confidence, and explore their career development. Based on EARC’s successful mentoring scheme (~200 participants since 2020, with RTPs being eligible from 2023), the scheme is light-touch and participant-led. Help guides have already been developed and will be adapted for the specific needs of RTPs.
Module 5 (virtual/in person): Action learning sets (ALS). ALS are groups of 5-7 peers who work together to find practical ways of addressing ‘real life’ challenges identified by members of the group, and to support their own learning and development. These will be cross-consortium, enabling RTPs not only to have experience of the other universities, but also to understand and work collaboratively to address issues faced by their colleagues in other institutions.

T-PIKE recognises that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach for meaningful and productive engagement between universities and other sectors. With this in mind, WP2 will offer RTPs the opportunity to ‘bid’ for funding from a T-PIKE facilitation fund (which will be ‘topped up’ by direct institutional funding), working with a KE Officer to identify an opportunity and structure for exchange.

Not only will this allow them to fit the engagement around their existing work commitments, commercial drivers and timelines of the businesses, but it also gives them the experience of applying for funding, a crucial professional skill in a modern research context. The bidding process will be managed on a scaled basis relative to the resource needs (in the same manner as the existing Essex TC fund): small funding requests (<£500; e.g. travel costs for a day visit) will be dealt with on a rolling basis and in a light-touch way with immediate decisions delegated to the T-PIKE manager or KE officer at each university; larger requests (>£500; e.g. RTP time buyout for a term) will be managed on a competitive basis with an open call twice per year and a representative decision panel (T-PIKE management team, RTP peers). Where appropriate, external partners may also support the costs of the activity (directly, or through in-kind contributions) adding further value to the programme.

Activities within the WP will be focused on KE with external partners around the two key strategic themes (AI & Data; Engineering Net Zero) and will include:

Full or part-time placements in industry. A F/T placement (for a short period) would allow an RTP to gain depth of knowledge in another sector; a P/T placement (for a longer period) would offer consistency and allow all parties involved to fit the placement around existing constraints.
Technician PhD. Several external partners have offered matched funding for RTPs to undertake a PhD on a (F/T or P/T) project relevant to industry (the funding offered by partners will be matched by each university as appropriate). Across EARC several RTPs have recently completed PhDs to gain experience and develop their career, and this will offer further opportunities for other RTPs.
An ‘entrepreneur in residence’, either F/T or P/T. This would enable an external entrepreneur (or equivalent industry / third sector visitor) to spend time in a university working directly with RTPs in their usual place of work. As well as the mutual learning possibilities, this would benefit both the university (in understanding the drivers for the external partner), and the external partner (in seeing the potential for collaborating with the university).
Shadowing and ‘buddy-systems’ to develop strong relationships of trust between colleagues, to learn from each other, and to better understand the needs and drivers of different sectors.
Visits and exchanges either to individual businesses, other universities or science parks, to tour facilities and understand the common and complementary issues they face.
Public engagement, such as the successful scheme run by the Science Museum Sainsbury Gallery, which Essex and Kent are currently engaged in.
‘Proof of concept’ and small research grants. Based on an understanding of need and opportunity, industry focussed joint grants to develop experiments or refine methodologies that would benefit the universities, industry, PSREs and third sector organisations.
‘Spin-out’ funding. For partnerships that have been productive and successful, and through which an additional opportunity has been identified, small grants will be available to develop the opportunity into a commercial venture.

WP3 will address issues of sector sustainability by actively creating opportunities for apprentices, UG and PG students and recent graduates, to work as technical development assistants (TDAs) on activities linked to the key strategic themes (AI & Data; Engineering Net Zero).

Where feasible, teaching-focussed RTPs will also be offered secondments as TDAs in order to develop skills and gain experience for their future career development.

The pool of new TDAs will thus directly support the aims of WP2 (and indirectly WP1 and WP4) by freeing up time for other existing RTPs to undertake KE activities themselves. TDAs will be line managed and trained by relevant RTPs (particularly those working towards gold or silver awards), giving both parties valuable experience and, importantly, spreading awareness of KE to potential new entrants to the RTP profession. RTPs line-managing a TDA will be supported (by HR teams within the universities, from data provided through existing NTDC surveys, and from external bodies such as the TALENT Commission and ITSS) to identify both generic and specialised key skills and competencies that are necessary to undertake different RTP roles within their teams.

Training needs identified in this way can then be provided centrally (generic skills) or in situ (specialist skills) at an appropriate level. RTPs would not typically deliver the training themselves but would support the TDA to access the relevant internal or external resources as necessary. In order for them to successfully take on a line-management role, RTPs will also themselves be supported by a ‘matrix’ management framework, which will include occupational development teams (e.g. coaching for those new to line management) and by one of the T- PIKE Co-Is, along with the lab-lead most relevant to their work.

Where time buyout is necessary to support the RTP this will be provided using the facilitation fund (see WP2), while TDAs will be supported through central schemes where possible (e.g. the centrally funded student Frontrunner placement scheme at Essex) providing additional value to the programme.

WP1: Training and mentoring

WP2: Engagement and experience

WP3: Recruitment and leadership

WP4: Empowerment and advocacy