People Make Research 2024/25 – recognising those who make a positive difference to our research culture

By Charlotte Bonner-Evans, InFrame Project Manager, Joulie Axelithioti, InFrame Leadership Developer, Cristina Vazquez Martin, InFrame Project Coordinator and Kay Guccione, Head of Research Culture and Researcher Development

Glasgow’s city slogan tells us that People Make Glasgow, and at the University of Glasgow we believe that People Make Research!

We are very pleased indeed to see that 298 of our University of Glasgow staff have been recognised for their positive contribution to the research culture in 2024/5. That’s almost 500 individual nominations – smashing all previous records!

Since launch in 2022, People Make Research is now an annual UofG project led by the Research Culture Team, and this year is integrated into the Wellcome Trust funded project – InFrame which seeks to understand how collegiality can be positioned at the heart of research leadership, through multiple research projects across three universities. The rich examples of meaningful collegiality we have collected for People Make Research will form a key part of InFrame’s data analysis. You can read them all in full below.

The People Make Research initiative encourages all Postgraduate Researchers, Research Staff, Academic, and Professional colleagues to recognise and thank the people who contribute positively to our thriving research culture and collective successes. Responses include acknowledgement of collegial leadership across the whole research ecosystem, for example we have recognised PGR Convenors and Administrators, supervisors, managers and PIs, Heads of School, partners and collaborators, supportive peers, and a wide range of Research Professional Staff such as Technicians, Impact Specialists, Graduate School Managers, and Research Project Managers. Our commitment to a positive research culture centres on the recognition and celebration of all colleagues who demonstrate positive leadership in the pursuit of research excellence. 

The way we do research is as important as what research is done

Professor Chris Pearce, Vice Principal of Research and Knowledge Exchange said: 

“I am delighted to once again see such enthusiastic participation in the People Make Research campaign, with a record-breaking 298 individuals nominated from across our university community. 

This inspiring initiative highlights the vital contributions made by every part of our research ecosystem – both those that support research and those that undertake it – all of whom help to shape the positive research culture that defines the University of Glasgow. It is always uplifting to read about the different ways that so many colleagues lead by example, and make a positive contribution to our collaborative and inclusive research environment.  

More than just a celebration, People Make Research also provides an important opportunity to share best practice and insights into what allows our research to thrive. I’m particularly pleased that nearly 500 colleagues took the time to submit nominations – a true reflection of the value we place on each other’s efforts. Please do take a moment to browse the nominations. 

My sincere thanks to Research Services for their work in delivering this initiative, and warm congratulations to everyone who was recognised. Your contributions continue to enrich our University and inspire us all.”

Amplifying the impact of People Make Research

As well as allowing us to recognise and formally thank those making a positive difference, People Make Research is an innovative way to collect and share practical examples of good practice in research leadership. The data (linked below in three galleries of good practice) are now in analysis and will (continue to) have impact as they underpin all our leadership development work through Glasgow’s Talent Lab programmes.

People Make Research has also been adopted and by our InFrame partners (at the University of Edinburgh, as ‘ Seek, Find, Celebrate; and at the University of St Andrews, as ‘Together, research excels) for the first time this year. The resulting celebrations and valuable insights from other institutions is supporting the development of an inclusive framework of collegial research leadership for the sector, a key aim of the InFrame project. If you would like to run a similar project for your university – we are happy to share all materials and methods with you. Please email researchculture@glasgow.ac.uk and we’ll reply with the goodies!

Joulie Axelithioti, who supported the recognition campaign this year, encourages you all to read and reflect on the nominations linked below. She says:

“As part of the InFrame team, I had the joy of curating the galleries of good practice and reading every heartfelt testimonial. The experience was unexpectedly uplifting—a rush of recognition for colleagues who quietly transform research culture through kindness, equity, and care. These stories remind us that leadership lives in everyday actions, and that even in the cracks of academia, resilient flowers of change are blooming. Let’s keep celebrating them.”

Meet the 298 people celebrated by their colleagues: 

Read all three of the People Make Research galleries of good practice linked below for a sense of what collegial research leadership means; they contain illustrative examples of what our colleagues do that makes such a positive difference to those around them.  We know that so many of us work incredibly hard to provide collegial support and cultivate an environment that upholds the highest standards of fair and open research practice. good practice deserves public recognition and a sincere thank you!

Our three categories mirror the three priorities of our University of Glasgow Research Strategy: Collaboration, Creativity and Careers and this shows how positive and collegial leadership furthers the aims of the strategy to support research excellence.

Meet the 192 UofG colleagues recognized for their impact on collaboration

Meet the 23 UofG colleagues recognized for their impact in creativity

Meet the 87 UofG colleagues recognized for their impact on careers

Spreading the joy of collegiality

The reaction to being recognised and thanked by colleagues has been amazingly positive, and created more celebration and collegiality in turn! Join us on LinkedIn to raise and recognise others! Follow the InFrame project here. Follow here for all work related to Research Culture and Researcher Development at the University of Glasgow.