Morning coffee and Keynote on research careers

9.30-10.30am

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Registration will start at 9.30am. The Symposium will start with an Icebreaker activity at 9.45-10am, and followed by Keynote on research careers at 10am.

The keynote will be delivered by Prof Kristine Langhoff (Education and Social Work), newly announced Interim Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Knowledge Exchange. 

Diverse careers roundtable

10.35-11.30am
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There are many diverse career pathways open to researchers, and it's increasingly common to switch between academia and industry over the course of a successful career. We'll start by asking ourselves about career expectations before diving into a Q&A. Whether you are at the beginning of your journey or a seasoned researcher, this session will provide valuable knowledge and guidance as our experienced academic and industry panelists delve into the varied career routes available to aspiring researchers, and share their expertise in research and beyond.

We are delighted to announce our experienced panelists who will be joining us to share their expertise in research and beyond. They will delve into various career routes available to aspiring researchers and discuss life-work balance.

• Prof Kristine Langhoff

Prof Kristine Langhoff is a Professor of Social Work at Sussex and the Interim Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Knowledge Exchange. She received her Master of Social Work degree and PhD from Arizona State University, where she was a practising clinical social worker, primarily in the voluntary sector, working with adults and young people involved in the criminal justice system and individuals victimised by sexual violence. She has 16 years' experience developing and delivering trauma-focused group interventions for survivors of sexual violence and exploitation and has trained widely on trauma-informed approaches to multidisciplinary practice with adults and children. Kristi joined Sussex in 2014 and contributes to teaching including the BA and MA Social Work programmes and both BA and MA in Childhood and Youth Studies programmes.

• Dr Elizabeth Rendon-Morales

Dr Elizabeth Rendon-Morales is a Senior Lecturer in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in the Department of Engineering and Design at the University of Sussex. Her areas of expertise include sensors, electronics, robotics and telemetry systems; and her current research is concentrated on the design, development and testing of sensing electronic systems and medical instrumentation. Since 2017 she has led an outreach program to promote Women's Participation in Science and Engineering. She is the leader of the Sussex Women in Engineering Society (WES) and the Athena SWAN chair at the School of Engineering and Informatics.

• Dr Henry Dore

Dr Henry Dore is a Research Fellow in Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics and a strong interdisciplinary experimentalist. He holds an MSc in advanced mechanical engineering and earned his PhD in cardio engineering and medical in 2023 from the University of Sussex. His current research focuses on the areas of heat pumps, waste recovery, and human thermal comfort. He aims to explore innovative solutions for energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, harnessing waste heat for sustainable applications, and enhancing human well-being by creating comfortable and environmentally-friendly indoor environments.

• Dr Esther McMahon

Dr Esther McMahon is a Lecturer in Education Studies at the University of West London, and a Research Associate at the Centre for Innovation in Childhood & Youth (CIRCY) at the University of Sussex. She has an interdisciplinary research background trained in Arts & Humanities (Goldsmiths, University of London) and Social Sciences (UCL). Her background in developing special educational needs best practice for Children’s Services has informed her interest in applied research and participatory methods. Her areas of academic expertise are focused on the social brain, classroom talk, inclusive education and cross-cultural ethics. 

• Dr Dominic Dean

Dr Dominic Dean is the Senior Research Quality and Impact Manager at the University of Sussex based in Research and Innovation Services, overseeing the REF submission. Dom leads a small team to support colleagues working on REF across the Schools. Dom holds a doctorate in English Literature from the University of Warwick and regularly publishes his own research in contemporary British literature and culture, as well as teaching undergraduate classes in related fields in English and the Medical Humanities.

• Dr Rosy Favicchio

Dr Rosy is Senior Editor at Nature Protocols (Springer Nature Group) and a molecular biologist who trained in bioengineering and has a strong interdisciplinary background. Her work has focused on the development of technologies for anticancer diagnostics/therapeutics and of applications for molecular imaging technologies, applied to cancer research. She joined the editorial team that launched Nature Biomedical Engineering in June 2016 and joined Nature Protocol in March 2022.

Talk: Developing a policy brief

11.35am-12.30pm
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Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex (ARC KSS) will be running a session on developing a policy brief. You will learn what a policy brief is and how to develop one, as well as examples of the impact that research has had on policy and development. The session will be delivered by Becca Randell, Implementation Lead, and Amanda Ferrell, Research Assistant in children’s mental health with ARC KSS. Becca has over 25 years of experience of commissioning and operational management of children’s services across health and social care. Amanda has a Master’s in Clinical Psychology with an interest in young people’s mental health, and is a previous Dragons' Den winner.

Seed Fund showcase and networking lunch

12.30-1.15pm
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Hear lightning talks from some of the recent recipients of SRS Seed Funding, aimed at fostering a more creative, inclusive and collaborative research culture. Then grab some lunch, network with fellow researchers, and find out about the opportunities and support available to you across campus. Browse the image exhibition, showcasing the diversity of current ECR work, and vote for your People's Choice favourite.

Development workshops

1.15-2.45pm

Workshop 1: Creativity in writing
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Do you struggle to make time for your writing, or find it hard to write creatively when you do make time? Facilitated by Dr Rebecca Webb, a senior lecturer in ESW, this workshop carves out a supportive space for researchers of all disciplines to write. Try out different techniques to re-energise your approach to writing and stimulate creativity, before settling down for an hour of intensive writing time.

Workshop 2: Promotions
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Are you curious about promotion at Sussex? Is something holding you back? We know that researchers who apply stand a reasonably high chance of success. But for ECRs on fixed-term contracts there are barriers to applying in the first place, compounded if you're a female researcher (female ECRs at Sussex are roughly three times less likely to apply for promotion). 

In this practical, interactive session co-delivered by Dr Elizabeth Rendon-Morales, HR and SRS, you will gain vital insights into how to advance your academic career, build your confidence and start gathering evidence, so you're ahead of the game next spring. This is an exclusive opportunity to demystify promotions for ECRs and take charge of your career advancement.

ECR Dragons' Den Final

3.00-4.45pm
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Join us for the exciting live ECR Dragons' Den Final, as Sussex researchers pitch their research projects to a panel of academic experts, and vote for your People's Choice champion!

The Dragons' Den is an opportunity for ECRs to bid for up to £2,000 of research funding and mentoring, and to gain experience in bid-writing and communicating their research and its impact. Research Image competition results will be announced after the Dragons' Den prize-giving.

We are delighted to introduce our finalists who will be presenting on the final day. Their pitched abstracts are as follows: 

• Dr Saber Sotoodeh- Rate me if you can!
• Dr Antonio Hinojosa Garcia- Cortical circuits underlying simple forms of learning
• Rebecca Dobson Phillips- Conceptualising Corruption in Bangladesh
• Dr Grecia Garcia Garcia-Developing and promoting guidelines for producing cognitively informed tactile diagrams.

Drinks reception

4.45pm onwards

After a long day at the Symposium we'll be heading to Falmer Bar to wind down and chat. Drinks vouchers are for Symposium attendees and are first come, first served!