In a university, leaching and research proceed together. The regular teaching staff are usually assisted by researchers on short-term appointments. Although the individuals in this group are of many different kinds, they form what might be termed the research community. It is suggested that the place of this community in engineering education and its particular concerns deserve closer study. This paper is limited to matters that arose from the implementation of a national scheme to provide better career management for research staff. It includes opportunities to become more effective contributors to the teaching curriculum. The measures required for this are straightforward, but in framing them it seemed to be necessary to compose a charter for research, setting out the rights and obligations that might be appropriate for the research community. As nothing substantial could be found on which to base it, this might be novel. The initial draft is presented here for wider consideration, particularly of its explicit recognition of a role for researchers in the wider educational functions of a university.