Apply to be a Hive Scholar

SAGE Research Hive Scholarships 2024-25

The Library’s Research Hive is a dedicated space for doctoral researchers and academic staff at Sussex, serving as a hub for the vibrant & diverse research community at the University.

The Library, in partnership with Sussex Researcher School and SAGE Publications, is offering three SAGE Research Hive Scholarships to support the Hive. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to supporting diversity in both academic publishing and our local research community, bringing together different perspectives for collaboration and development.

Each scholarship attracts a fixed bursary of £3,575 for an eleven-month duration: from the start of September 2024 to the end of July 2025.

The scholarship holders will be required to contribute on average 25 hours per month for the duration of the scholarship period. These hours will be flexible and dependent on any planned activities and events. Some of this time will be spent on-site in the Hive at times to be agreed, but the Scholars will also be expected to manage their own time exploring the needs of fellow doctoral researchers and developing initiatives to support them. For previous Scholars this has included activities such as running Thesis and Biscuits sessions, a Beyond your PhD event with Careers, peer-led panel discussions, an interdisciplinary methods conference and a creative Collage Your PhD event.

The Scholars will need to work together effectively and flexibly as a self-managing team, including regular contact by email/other social media and monthly face-to-face meetings.

The scholarships present a fantastic opportunity for doctoral researchers to develop a host of professional skills and expand their research networks through engagement & events. You will have the chance to contribute to & enhance the development of the research community at Sussex and gain first-hand knowledge of academic publishing from Sage and beyond.

How to apply

The scholarships are open to Sussex doctoral researchers who are currently registered and intend to stay registered until summer 2025. This opportunity is open to researchers already holding another scholarship but it is the responsibility of the applicant to confirm that their existing scholarship would permit them to apply. Applications should take the form of a statement clearly outlining how you meet the criteria listed in the person specification, together with a short CV, and be sent to library.researchsupport@sussex.ac.uk. The closing date for applications is midnight on 9^th July and interviews will be held on 18^th and 19^th July, in person. Please specify in your application if you are unable to make one of these dates. Although the scholarship will not begin until September, the successful candidates will ideally be able to meet informally during the summer.

For an informal discussion about the scholarships, please contact Maggie Symes, Research & Open Scholarship Librarian M.Symes@sussex.ac.uk or Tomasz Kowalczyk, Research & Open Scholarship Supervisor T.Kowalczyk@sussex.ac.uk.

Key responsibilities

The Hive Scholars will work together to:

Contribute to marketing and awareness of the Hive by working closely with key contacts in the academic Schools (e.g. promoting the Hive as part of induction week meetings) and through social media including the Hive’s blog, Twitter feed and Facebook page
Promote the existence of both physical and virtual researcher communities within Sussex
Engage with SAGE Publications on research trends and issues facing doctoral researchers
Use social media to engage researchers, promote discussions and offer peer support
Generate content for the Research Hive blog
Support existing formal and informal researcher activities held by the Library/SRS, including but not limited to Open Access Week events, professional development workshops, the Research Hive seminar series and the Festival of Doctoral Research
Initiate and organise relevant peer support activities and events through the Research Hive
Produce an annual evaluation of the Hive and its usage
Gather and share information on the use and development of the Hive with SAGE and SRS through written reports and presentations
Any other duties in support of the Library and SRS, as determined by the line manager

Person specification

Skills / Abilities	Essential	Desirable
Ability to work effectively and flexibly as a team member	X
Ability to engage with researchers at all levels, in a range of disciplines	X
Excellent presentation skills	X
Excellent written and oral communication skills	X
An ability to manage a varied workload with periods of intense activity while remaining calm under pressure	X
Able to work independently and use own initiative	X

Knowledge	Essential	Desirable
Broad understanding of the challenges and issues facing individual researchers	X
Awareness of current issues facing the UK HE sector		X
Awareness of support structures for researchers at Sussex		X

Experience	Essential	Desirable
Demonstrable experience of initiating and completing new projects	X
Experience of organising and promoting events	X
Previous experience of writing and producing high quality promotional materials and resources for a range of audiences	X
Experience of using social networking tools		X
Experience of working with a range of researchers at Sussex and beyond	X

Personal attributes and circumstances	Essential	Desirable
Currently registered as attending a programme of doctoral research at Sussex, and intending to remain registered until Summer 2023	X
Able to commit an average of 25 hours per month to supporting the Hive over the duration of the scholarship period	X
A commitment to continuing professional development and attending relevant training courses	X

Sussex Researcher School