Navigating Careers in Digital Research: How the DIRECT Framework Can Help
Digital and computational skills have transformed the way we do science and research. From managing datasets to developing complex software and running analyses on high-performance computing platforms, the work is increasingly technical, collaborative, and fast-moving. With this complexity comes a question: how do researchers and digital technical professionals plan their careers and build the right skills for the future?
The DIRECT (Digital Research Competencies) framework tries to provide at least a partial answer to this question.
What is a knowledge exchange placement, and could it help develop your career?
A placement is a visit to another work area outside of your organisation for a period of up to a week. ‘Knowledge exchange’ means that you are finding out how others work, learning new techniques, seeing new methods or experiencing new equipment, and bringing that knowledge back to your workplace.
Beyond the Code – Shaping your Career as a Research Software Engineer
Research Software Engineers (RSEs) sit at the intersection of cutting-edge research and high-quality software development. Despite their critical role in advancing research, the career path of an RSE is often unclear, varied, or undervalued. Here are 5 steps to help you explore what’s next in your career.
Green Skills and Training for Digital Researchers
Digital skills are becoming increasingly important for research, unlocking powerful tools that accelerate discovery and innovation - but these advances can come with an environmental cost. Every dataset stored, every AI model trained, and every simulation run consumes energy and contributes to emissions. And as the scale of digital research grows, so too does its environmental footprint.
Research Technical Professional Career Paths in UCL’s Advanced Research Computing Centre
A key aim with the hybrid nature of ARC has always been to provide a home for digital research technical professionals – who support and collaborate in the delivery of team-based research, but don’t fully fit into traditional PS or academic career pathways. We seek to provide outstanding career development opportunities for these staff, now all on permanent contracts, so that they can apply their skills to cutting-edge research problems for the greatest public benefit.
Building Sustainable Outreach: Reuse, Repurpose, Reinvent
Effective outreach is key to growing and diversifying the scientific computing community, engaging everyone from students and researchers to policymakers and the public. Yet, many organisations struggle to build or sustain outreach programmes, especially without dedicated staff or resources.
Early Career Perspectives on Career and Skills in Research Software
Research Software Engineering (RSE) is a crucial component of modern research, but as a profession, it is often misunderstood, under-recognised, and discovered by accident. Researchers often find themselves writing software long before realising that their work constitutes a career pathway in its own right. While RSEs’ contributions are not always supported or acknowledged, the field is gaining visibility, and efforts to strengthen recognition and support are growing.
