Stopping the tenure clock

Researchers at the ICR can apply to ‘stop the tenure clock’ for up to a year for each period of leave, to minimise the impact of taking maternity leave on their careers.

Everyone whose tenure at the ICR is limited by a workforce agreement is eligible, including postdocs, ICR Fellows, members of Career Development Faculty and Clinician Scientists.

Maternity mentoring

The ICR can match academic and clinical academic researchers and students with a maternity mentor, as it can be useful to talk to someone who has already been through a period of maternity leave to discuss concerns and hear the experiences and advice of others.

Parents groups and new parent buddies

We run parents groups on our sites in Sutton and Chelsea, with around 70 members across both sites.

The groups bring staff together to build a support network and forum for discussion for people with children.

We also run a peer mentoring scheme across the ICR where new parents are matched with supportive mentors, who can provide support and insight into what has helped them in balancing work and family life.

Flexible working practices

The ICR offers a range of options to work flexibly, including compressed hours, job sharing, part-time working and varied start and finish times.

We deliver workshops for both staff and managers to help them understand the options. 

Contributions towards care costs

The ICR offers contributions towards the costs of care for children or relatives to staff and students attending residential training courses and conferences arranged through our Learning and Development department.