Our LBU research culture - how are we actually doing? What CEDARS 2025 tells us

A strong foundation

The clearest and most consistent message relates to research standards. This remains the strongest area of experience and continues to show improvement compared with 2023.

Colleagues report that expectations around research integrity, ethical practice and quality are clear and well supported. Strong research standards underpin everything else; they protect credibility and give people confidence in their research environment. The fact that this area remains both strong and stable suggests a solid foundation.

Career development also stands out as an area of progress. More colleagues report being aware of development support, having a clear career development plan and feeling encouraged by their manager to engage in development activity. Experience still varies, but the overall direction is positive.

Stability, with signs of progress

Across several themes, experiences have either improved or remained broadly stable since 2023. In the current sector context, that stability matters. It allows us to build deliberately rather than simply respond to pressure.

There are signs of improvement in how colleagues experience managerial support. More respondents agree that expectations are clear, feedback is constructive and support for development is in place. Wellbeing and job satisfaction have also strengthened, with job satisfaction now above the sector benchmark. This does not remove workload pressures, but it suggests that for many colleagues the environment feels more supportive than it did two years ago.

Where experience is more mixed

The survey also highlights areas where progress has been more limited.

Promotion and progression remain areas where experience is mixed. Confidence in clarity of processes has changed little since 2023, and job security continues to be a concern for some groups, particularly those in research-only roles and at earlier career stages.

Looking more closely, experiences differ across groups. Disabled colleagues report less positive experiences in areas such as wellbeing, progression and access to development. Women also report less positive views in some areas linked to recognition and progression. These patterns do not tell the whole story, but they do indicate where further attention is needed.

While most respondents have not experienced discrimination, bullying or harassment, a minority have, and reporting rates remain relatively low. This underlines the importance of continuing to build confidence and trust in routes for raising concerns.

Turning insight into action

The CEDARS Action Plan for 2025–2027 is intentionally focused. Rather than trying to address everything at once, it concentrates on the areas where we can most meaningfully influence research culture over the next two years.

A clear message from this evidence is the importance of sustaining and building on what is already working well, particularly in relation to research standards and responsible practice. Alongside this, the action plan prioritises clearer progression processes, better visibility and coordination of career development support, continued attention to wellbeing and inclusion and development-focused leadership and management.

It also reflects a realistic approach. Colleagues value development and mentoring, but engagement is shaped by workload and context. The focus therefore is on approaches that are accessible and embedded, rather than simply adding more activity.

CEDARS is not about producing a report that sits on a shelf. It is about using evidence to understand experience and to make considered, proportionate changes over time. The task now is to keep listening, remain honest about where challenges persist and ensure that the commitments set out in the action plan translate into everyday experience across our LBU research community.

If you would like to explore the findings in more detail, the full CEDARS 2025 Summary Report and CEDARS Action Plan 2025–2027 are available on our staff site.