The Centre for Higher Education Practice (CHEP) promotes academic professional learning for every member of University staff, in all areas of academic activity and at every stage of their career. Our researcher development team works in partnership with faculties and specialist teams from professional services to design and deliver professional development programmes for staff engaged in research and enterprise across the University.
Our expertise is in learning and development, facilitation, leadership, collaborative approaches, effective partnership building, coaching, and mentoring. We develop researchers, and those who work with them, to be reflexive, strategic, ambitious, and resilient.
The team includes experienced researcher developers and administrators working alongside academic staff. We also encompass the professional development aspect of the Doctoral College.
The team develops individuals through a series of targeted continuing professional development workshops. We develop teams and capacities by hosting networks and communities of practice, and the University through supporting strategic projects and initiatives. We embed wellbeing and attention to equality, inclusion and diversity into all that we do.
Working at UoS and interested in what we do? Keep an eye out in your email inbox for CHEP’s monthly updates or visit our events page (SharePoint) regularly to see what is on.
Our Researcher Development Hub SharePoint site provides an overview of learning and development resources to support researchers available across the University. It highlights key information, contacts and training opportunities, and provides insight into the wider scope of the knowledge and skills required to build your career in research, knowledge exchange and enterprise.
Visit the CHEP Researcher Development SharePoint Hub
Please note this is an internal SharePoint site for University staff and requires a University log-in.
The Centre for Higher Education Practice (CHEP) provides a range of workshops, online learning resources and other opportunities for academic researcher development for staff across the whole research community. Visit Researcher Development Programme 25/26 (internal SharePoint site)
We offer an annual programme of support for different kinds of academic writing, from writing for publication to communicating your research outside of academia. As well as workshops and seminars, we run a range of different kinds of protected time and space for writing tasks, including one-hour online slots, on-campus writing cafés, and residential retreats. Visit Academic Writing and Publishing (Internal SharePoint site)
Our Research Funding Intensive is a hybrid programme of supported practice-based development. The programme allows staff to develop skills, knowledge and practice for ambitious grant applications. It engages staff in ways that embed healthy research culture through personal, professional and community development. Visit Applying for Funding (Internal SharePoint site)
Drawing on University priorities and best practice CHEP offers a series of tiered and integrated programmes which focus on sectoral mobility, interdisciplinarity, resilience and risk, inclusive leadership, belonging. These programmes support communities, collaborations and strategic development. We have specifically targeted leadership and development programmes for Early Career Researchers (Prosper and Discover (Internal SharePoint sites)).
CHEP works with colleagues in the central and Faculty Doctoral College teams to support new and experienced supervisors. Visit our dedicated Supervisor Training SharePoint site (Internal SharePoint site) to find out about the full range of opportunities that are available across the year, from introductory modules and inductions to topic focused development – supporting supervisors with key doctoral milestones, and local situated faculty forums.
Find out more: CHEP Researcher Development Programme 2025/26 (Internal SharePoint site)
If you are looking for a particular workshop/course, please go to our events Sharepoint page (Internal SharePoint site) or to the Staffbook booking system.
We work with a range of expert teams across the University. Visit their websites to find out more about specialist researcher development opportunities that they offer:
The University of Southampton supports research culture by fostering an inclusive, collaborative community and by placing people at the heart of its institutional strategy. Our commitment to the Researcher Development Concordat is central to this effort, identifying barriers, addressing inequalities, and improving the research environment, career and professional development opportunities for our researchers.
Find out more:
Research culture at the University of Southampton
Our commitment to the Researcher Development Concordat
The University is also a member of Vitae – the organisation that champions researchers and those who support them. All members of the University have access to Vitae’s resources.
Visit our CHEP Sharepoint Site (please note this is an internal website for University staff only so you will need to log in with your username and password).