UofG Technicians

The SRTP Academy brought together Research Technical Professionals (RTPs) from the Universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and St Andrews between 2025 and 2026. The programme was designed to address longstanding challenges across the sector, including limited visibility of technical staff, fragmented career pathways, and unequal access to professional development. Through cross-institutional collaboration, it created new opportunities for leadership development, networking, mentoring, and knowledge exchange. 

The independently commissioned evaluation demonstrates strong and consistent impact across all three institutions. Participants reported increased leadership confidence, stronger professional identity, and improved access to development opportunities. The Academy also enabled the formation of new cross-institutional networks and communities of practice, helping to reduce professional isolation and strengthen collaboration across disciplines. 

Quantitative findings further highlight the success of the programme. Participants rated the Academy highly, with an average score of 8.19 out of 10. Over half of respondents reported increased mentoring, leadership, or peer support activity following participation. In addition, more than half indicated plans to contribute to institutional initiatives, develop collaborations, or take on new leadership responsibilities. 

The findings show that targeted development initiatives for technical staff can play a significant role in strengthening research culture and supporting workforce development. The SRTP Academy was particularly effective in supporting leadership capability, professional confidence, and community building. It enabled technical professionals to recognise their expertise, build connections, and engage more actively within their institutions and across the wider sector.

Alongside the evaluation, a policy paper sets out a clear case for sustaining and expanding this work. The paper positions the SRTP Academy as a strategic contribution to research culture, closely aligned with institutional priorities, the Technician Commitment, and sector expectations in the lead-up to REF 2029. 

The policy paper identifies three key priorities for institutions. These include embedding technical professional development within research culture strategies, protecting staff time and support for participation, and establishing a sustainable Scottish Academy to deliver leadership development, networking, and communities of practice at scale. 

The programme also demonstrates that meaningful impact can be achieved through a relatively low-cost, collaborative model. By building on existing partnerships and shared expertise, the Academy provides a practical and scalable approach to strengthening technical capability and supporting long-term research sustainability across Scotland. 

As universities continue to focus on research culture, collaboration, and workforce sustainability, the SRTP Academy offers a strong example of how coordinated, cross-institutional approaches can deliver tangible benefits for individuals, institutions, and the wider research ecosystem.

The full evaluation report and policy paper are attached.