The Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is an internationally recognised framework for planning, promoting and supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers in higher education. It is an approach to researcher development, which aims to provide researchers with a universal language for communicating their capabilities.

We encourage our research staff to make use of the RDF as a tool to map and guide career development, giving structure and progression to development. 

Many of our training courses can be mapped to the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF), so logging attendance against the framework can help to identify where your strengths lie and which areas you should focus on in your future development.  If you would like advice on how a particular course maps to the RDF please contact us.

The RDF covers 4 areas or "domains" of learning, and twelve sub-domains, encompassing the knowledge, intellectual abilities, techniques and professional standards to do research, as well as the personal qualities, knowledge and skills to work with others and ensure the wider impact of research.

Domain A - RDF
Domain B RDF Diagram
Domain C - RDF Diagram
Domain D - RDF Diagram