- 31 May 2017: The Technician Commitment is launched at the UK Higher Education Technicians Summit at the University of Warwick. The Commitment's 36 founding signatories were announced.
- 20 September 2017: The first 'signatory event' is held at New Scientist Live. Signatory events give Technician Commitment leads and supporting organisations the opportunity to come together, hear sector updates, share best practice and collaborate. The second round of signatories were also announced in September 2017.
- April 2018: The third round of signatories to join the Technician Commitment are announced bringing the total to 66.
- June 2018: The 36 founding signatories submit the first Institutional Self Assessments & Action Plans to the Technician Commitment Steering Board. The second round of signatories submit theirs in October of the same year.
- November 2018: “The Technician Commitment: One Year In” report is launched by Lord Sainsbury of Turville at a reception at the Tower of London, the venue for the third sector signatory event.
- December 2018: Technician Commitment partners with the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures to showcase technical expertise on a national stage. This partnership has continued each year since, throwing a light on the role technicians play across science and public engagement.
- June 2019: the Technician Commitment publishes its first research report - ‘Technicians: Vital front-line support for student well-being & mental health’
- September 2019: Technician Commitment introduces Supporter status to offer opportunities for a wider range of organisations to join and support the Commitment’s aims. The Institute of Physics, Royal Society of Chemistry and Royal Society of Biology are the first professional bodies to formally support the initiative.
- April 2019: Technician Commitment partners with Times Higher Education to create a brand new ‘Outstanding Technician of the Year’ category in the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards. The inaugural award is presented to the Open University’s Barbara Kunz at a ceremony in November 2019.
- November 2019: The Technician Commitment partners on a report entitled ‘Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: A Technician Lens’. For the first time, utilising quantitative data and qualitative feedback, the report identifies the equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) challenges facing the technical community in UK higher education and provides sector recommendations to advance equality, diversity and inclusion for all.
- December 2019: The Technician Commitment reaches 88 signatory institutions.
- February 2020: Technicians receive support from the UK’s largest research funder when UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) become the first funder to sign the Technician Commitment.
- Throughout 2020: As the pandemic sets in, Technician Commitment activities move online. A research report from the Technician Commitment and partners highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the technical community in higher education and research. In July 2020, the UK government’s Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap sets out the UK’s vision and ambition for science, research and innovation. It features the importance of technicians and the Technician Commitment.
- January 2021: The Technician Commitment launches the Collaboration Fund - providing funding to support signatories to develop their own initiatives that work with partners to support the goals of the Commitment. The fund was reopened for a second year in January 2022.
- July 2021: The UK government publishes the Research and Development (R&D) People and Culture Strategy. It launches with input from stakeholders including Kelly Vere on behalf of the Technician Commitment.
- September 2021: The Technician Commitment collaborates with TALENT and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to create a new resource, exploring the funding of technical staff in research.
- November 2021: In-person signatory events resume with a signatory event at County Hall, London. An independent review of the Technician Commitment by York Consulting finds that 1 in 3 of technicians surveyed agreed that technicians were more recognised within their institutions because of the Technician Commitment
- May 2022: The Research Concordats and Agreements Review publishes findings on the Technician Commitment and a range of other Concordats. The Technician Commitment initiative is recognised for its positive effect on working environments – scoring 72% for this indicator, the highest score across initiatives.
This timeline marks only a handful of the key moments in the life of the Technician Commitment. Not included here, but of equal if not greater importance, are the countless new relationships, initiatives and partnerships generated by signatories and supporters themselves to advance the goals of the Commitment.
On this fifth anniversary, we want to thank each and every signatory and supporter of the Technician Commitment for your dedication to promoting visibility and recognition for the technical community.
Share your personal highlights from five years of the Technician Commitment on Twitter using #TCturnsFIVE.
