Early Career Researcher Network

Coordinators: Fran Martin & Jo Rose

This network is aimed towards early-career researchers (to include those studying for a PhD). As early-career researchers ourselves, and from talking to others, we felt that it would be beneficial to create a supportive network for those who are in the earlier stages of their research career. Meetings tend to centre around group discussion of research-oriented skills / problems, and discussion of each others work.

The initial aims of the network include:

Developing individuals’ sense of academic authority and conviction, and the confidence that goes with this.
How to overcome inhibitions around speaking out about your own and others’ work.
Providing a forum for discussion and informal peer-review of work (research design, grant proposals, papers etc).

Meeting dates and discussion topics:

1 May 2009, 12.00 - 2.00: Applying the Research Excellence Criteria to journal articles
25 February 2009, 12.30 - 2.00: Ethics in research
11 December 2008, 12.30 - 2.00: Creative Methods (session will be led by Dr Tessa Muncey)
13 October 2008, 12.30-2.00: Funding applications
22 July 2008, 2.00-3.30: Multi-agency working
1 May 2008, 12.00-1.30: Writing for different audiences.
17 March 2008, 12.00-1.30: Research questions and research design
6 February 2008, 12.00-1.30: Reviewing articles

The general agenda for the network, that arose from discussions at the first meeting:

The group could function at two levels: by providing a venue for people to find out about common interests; and to discuss issues that we all face, as early career researchers (ECR)
The group could help us think about where we are at as researchers, where we want to get to, and what we need to do to get there - considering common resources and common barriers to career progression (and how we might overcome these barriers).
The group could be a forum to share and support each others' work, such as upcoming conference presentations / papers / writing bids / funding sources etc
Sharing ideas on how to use endnote and other "tricks of the trade".
How to formulate a researcher identity (what you are losing as well as what you are gaining)
Consider what does a research career look like?
Identify areas of common interest (possibly leading to extra smaller group meetings and liasing outside the remit of this group)
Do some people need a teaching mentor as well as a research mentor, to help them balance the demands of both these aspects of their role?
Understand what it means to be a researcher?
How to be critical, and develop critical thinking skills ad experience.
Use the group to develop confidence - a forum to talk about your own work without feeling intimidated.
Consider how the ECRN relates to the PhD researcher group and to BERA Early Career SIG - what connections might we want to make with either or both of these groups?
The group could also play a role as a lobby group for ECR