Transforming research culture: overcoming barriers and fostering sustainable change in Higher Education

Abstract

I-REACCH (Inclusive Research Environment Achieved through Culture Change) is a Wellcome-funded initiative based at the University of Leicester, focused on co-designing practical interventions to improve research culture. A separate working paper offers a fuller account of the project’s approach and ambitions (Angell, Ladipo and Lemos, 2025).

This working paper explores insights from two I-REACCH participatory workshops on research culture, held at the University of Leicester in June 2025 and January 2026. The workshops brought together researchers, professional services staff, and research culture practitioners to reflect on collaborative approaches, barriers and enablers, and the long-term sustainability of research culture change in higher education. Discussions were structured around guided questions and visual prompts to support collaborative reflection.

Across the two sessions, participants explored collaboration as a mechanism for change, the structural and cultural barriers shaping research environments, the conditions required to sustain change over time, and the impact of wider sector pressures.

The findings highlight that while there is strong commitment and emerging good practice, sustaining change requires clearer structures, recognition, and continuity. I-REACCH is supporting a series of activities to begin to address these challenges.