Case studies : Government senior research officer: Chris

Chris applied to the Government Social Research (GSR) Fast Stream programme in the final months of his PhD and has been employed as a research officer in the GSR service since April 2012...

Prior to my application I had completed two Masters degrees and a PhD from the University of Sheffield, which I finished in 2012. My courses covered Chinese business, language and socioeconomics. One Masters consisted of approximately one-third research methods training, and the PhD involved a broad range of first-hand research experiences.

During the PhD, I applied for a three-month internship with a GSR team, through which I gained experience of managing a research project, conducting first-hand research, writing and publishing a research paper.

The internship gave me the experience of producing research in a policy environment, for a range of stakeholders. The skills gained during my academic career and internship were far more important in the GSR recruitment process than the subject matter of my studies. Colleagues that joined in the same cohort had a variety of backgrounds including some straight from Masters degrees and some with professional research backgrounds.

My GSR role largely consists of project managing research programmes. Day to day I handle a wide range of interactions with research agencies conducting research on our department's behalf. This can be presenting contractors with research briefs; discussing and critiquing proposed research methodologies; interpreting data and reports from contractors; proofreading; and handling administrative requirements such as timeline and financial matters.

In addition to project management, my role includes scoping new research projects with policy colleagues to ensure that they receive timely and relevant information to assist policy decisions. My current role doesn't involve much hands-on research, but the balance between research and project management varies across roles and departments.

The most satisfying element of my current role is my involvement in research that will feed in to high-profile policy decisions. While I may not always be involved in such projects, it is motivating to know that at some level my work has a practical application however small.

On the Fast Stream programme, the pressure and expectations are quite high but this does mean I have more opportunities to learn the skills required to be a successful social researcher in government. I am aiming for promotion to a senior research officer within a year or so, and will look to broaden my experiences of Government Social Research by moving around departments, which is encouraged by the GSR service.