The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) has formally pledged to increase support for technical staff who are critical to science and research activities.
By signing the internationally recognised Technician Commitment, UKCEH joins a growing community of 150 universities and research organisations improving visibility, recognition, career development and long-term sustainability of technical professionals in higher education, research and innovation.
As a leading independent research institute dedicated to understanding and transforming how we interact with the natural world, UKCEH tackles the urgent environmental challenges of our time, such as climate change and biodiversity loss.
UKCEH has a substantial community of technicians and technical specialists that provide the foundation for research activities and enable the institute to deliver its scientific goals, activities and outputs. These skilled technicians bring a wealth of specialist expertise and play vital roles across UKCEH, supporting laboratories, field sites, instrumentation, engineering, data services, IT and libraries.
Their work includes:
- Maintaining UKCEH’s extensive network of environmental monitoring stations, which provide critical data for soil moisture, climate, air quality, flood and drought research programmes, including COSMOS, UK-Flux network, UKEAP and Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure (FDRI).
- Supporting UKCEH analytical chemistry, molecular biology and experimental laboratories, which monitor freshwater, terrestrial, and atmospheric pollution, assess soil and water quality, and investigate ecological status and impacts.
- Designing, building and maintaining specialist instruments, technical facilities, and data services, supporting the Auchencorth Moss Atmospheric Observatory and projects such as FDRI, COSMOS, UKEAP and biodiversity monitoring programmes.
Dr Daniel Read, UKCEH Science Director and Technician champion said:
“By signing the Technician Commitment, we are demonstrating our commitment to supporting and developing our technical colleagues, recognising that they make key contributions to the delivery of our science. Working with our Technician Steering Group, this pledge will help us to further the work already underway in this area, which includes the creation and delivery of a multi-year action plan to raise awareness, ensure increased recognition, greater inclusion and learning opportunities for our technical community."
Carly Dellar, Deputy Head of Operations for the Technician Commitment said: “We warmly welcome the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology to the Technician Commitment community.
“Research institutes often specialise in specific disciplines, employing skilled technicians who play a critical role in tackle real-world research challenges.
“We look forward to supporting UKCEH’s journey in enhancing the visibility and career development of its specialist technical workforce and sharing valuable insights across our growing community.”
Since launching in 2017, the Technician Commitment has now grown to a global community of more than 150 organisations championing technicians and their contributions to higher education and research. The initiative is hosted by the UK Institute of Technical Skills & Strategy.