Researcher developers as careful gatekeepers in research culture

When wondering about my role as a Researcher Developer, I can often be found somewhere between reporting and facilitating. When I wonder, I think about who values the programming, approaches, and evaluations I facilitate. I consider, why. I think about behaviours I see modelled by fellow Researcher Developers, including my own, and the care often taken in the design, delivery, and communications. I also reflect on the hidden labour that at times can underpin this work, the work that’s gone before, and the champions who can be less visible within the research environment. I think about sustainability and resourcing. When wondering in these ways, I turn to what I know: cultural sector and community arts research. I do so, to remind myself that these are positionalities and experiences not unique to Researcher Development and that research and scholarship in these areas may be a useful lens for considering the role of the Researcher Developer as a hidden curriculum agent of research culture.