Hello Everyone,
Welcome to the latest issue of the Sussex Researcher for 2019.
Whilst the weather may have taken a downturn over the last few days, here in the Research Staff Office we are still sunny and happy, and we are excited about some new initiatives and developments we are going to be rolling out over the next few months.
We are kicking off by running a series of 5 * 1 hour "Brown bag"/"Lunch and Learn" seminars on the theme of Early Career Fellowships - collaborating with the Research Development Office and the Directors of Postdoctoral Development in Life Sciences and BSMS to focus initially on the BioScience/BioMed area.
The idea behind developing this modular approach is 3-fold:
- We can easily re-deliver sessions at a time and venue that suits you (including in webinar format) as we do not have to co-ordinate lots of people
- We can tailor specific modules for different discipline audiences
- We can easily capture and host the materials online so you can access them "on demand" - not needing to wait weeks or months for a workshop to be organised.
To accommodate different work patterns and discipline areas, we plan to re-run the series at different times of day in different venues over the summer - but want to find out when, where and how you would like this to happen. We have some ideas which we have outlined in this Survey - please let us know your preferences and we'll do our best to accommodate you!
Best wishes,
The Research Staff Office Team (Hayley Cordingley and Alex Aghajanian)
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Workshops & Events - June
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Research Staff Office Events Researchers R Us - Wednesday 12th June, 09:30 -11:30
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Events organised by other teams
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Featured Seminar Series: "ECR Fellowships" (June dates)
Location: Seminar Room, Genome Damage & Stability Centre (GDSC) Building Have you heard about "Fellowships" and wondered what they are? Have you thought about applying for a Fellowship? Do you want to learn more? Then bring your lunch, and come along to one or more of these informal "Lunch and Learn" seminars!
Fellowship Seminars 1: "Fellowships - are they for me?" - Thursday 20th June, 13:00 - 14:00
This session will give an introduction to what a fellowship is, the role it can play in advancing your academic career, together with an overview of what you need to consider and plan to do if deciding to apply for a fellowship.
Fellowship Seminars 2: "Fellowship schemes for ECRs in BioSci/BioMed" - Thursday 27th June, 13:00 - 14:00
This session will provide a brief outline of the most relevant, commonly and successfully applied to fellowship schemes within the disciplines of bio-medical sciences and bio-sciences.
To accommodate different work patterns and discipline areas, we plan to re-run the series at different times of day in different venues over the summer - but want to find out when, where and how you would like this to happen. We have some ideas which we have outlined in this Survey - please let us know your preferences and we'll do our best to accommodate you!
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Concordat Strategy Group publish report of consultation which will lead to revised Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers in 2019 Following the sector consultation on the independent review of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, the Concordat Strategy Group (CSG) has recently published the consultation review report. The responses were overwhelmingly in favour of revising the Concordat, making it shorter, clearer and more accessible and in particular outlining the specific responsibilities of funders, employers, principal investigators/managers of researchers and researchers themselves. The consultation revealed that over 95% of both organisation and individual respondent think support for researchers to develop their career and research identity should be increased. Precarity of employment and equality of opportunity were other key themes, though the solutions are not straight-forward, and opinions were mixed in all areas of the consultation. The Concordat writing group have drafted a new text which is currently being shared with key stakeholder groups in the Sector; the new document is due for release at the end of June.
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Introduction to REF2021 - Presentation for ECRs The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s national system of research assessment, driving the distribution of core research funding to universities. The next REF exercise will take place in 2021. Every UK university submitting to the REF uses the publications, other research outputs, and wider social impact produced by its researchers to form its submission; the quality of that submission determines the level of core research funding the university receives, and also has broader implications. Understanding the REF - its requirements, and its effects on Higher Education and research culture - is essential for everyone who is building a research career in the UK. On the 27th of March, Dr Dominic Dean, REF Academic and Operational Manager for the University of Sussex, provided a presentation to a group of researchers taking them through a detailed exploration of REF2021, its effects and the key elements of which early-career researchers need to be aware. We are pleased to be able to share the presentation with you here:
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Discovering Digital Humanities: Realising Interdisciplinarity Date: Friday 7th June, 10:00-17:00 Location: Sussex Humanities Lab, Silverstone Building Have you ever wondered what the Digital Humanities are? Are you curious about the digital possibilities of your own research? This one day free event hosted by Sussex Humanities Lab invites early career researchers and students to find out more about the Digital Humanities and to discover what ‘digital’ research looks like in practice. You will be introduced to examples of a diverse array of projects and methodological approaches within the Digital Humanities. Through a series of interactive sessions and presentations, you will have the opportunity to form interdisciplinary connections and to discover, learn and play with resources available here on campus in Sussex Humanities Lab. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.
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Be inspired by the Festival of Doctoral Research The Doctoral School have announced the return of the Festival of Doctoral Research, a three-day programme of events designed to showcase the outstanding doctoral research currently underway throughout the university. The Festival runs from Tuesday 18 to Thursday 20 June, and current highlights include:
- Three Minute Thesis: visitors are invited to watch as a group of brave PhD students take on the challenge of explaining their 80,000 word thesis in just three minutes… before a live audience!
- Research Image Competition: come along to this event for a visual perspective of the current research undertaken by doctoral researchers at Sussex
- End-of-festival BBQ: Enjoy some free BBQ food and a drink with other researchers from across campus. All early career researchers are welcome.
For all attending, the Festival will be a great opportunity to learn about, and share ideas with doctoral researchers from different schools.
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Early career women academics on non-permanent contracts If you are an early career woman academic on a non-permanent contract at the University of Sussex, you are invited to take part in this University of Sussex project, 'Supporting early career women academics' in support of the work of Athena Swan at the university. This project seeks to develop understanding of the factors which help or hinder the career progression of early career women academics, particularly those on temporary contracts. It is hoped that through developing understanding of any barriers and inequities faced the university will be better places to meet the developmental needs of this group of colleagues. The survey will take approximately 10 – 15 minutes to complete. By returning your responses when you click ‘done’, you are giving your consent to take part in this research. There will be further research activities including focus groups and interviews - please email Dr Charlotte Morris ( C.A.Morris@sussex.ac.uk) if you are interested in taking part. Please note this survey will close on Friday June 7 at 5 pm.
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Life Sciences Postdoc Research Symposium
Date: Thursday 4th July
The Life Sciences Postdoc Research Symposium will be held on Thursday 4th July 2019.
The symposium will be a one-day event to:
- raise awareness of the various kinds of research happening across the School of Life Sciences;
- provide speakers with experience of preparing and presenting research;
- provide networking opportunities between Life Sciences postdocs and the wider University community.
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Dr Mahmoud Maina secures prestigious funding to promote science communication in Nigeria A University of Sussex neuroscientist has received over £78,000 to improve the reporting of science and health research in Nigeria. Dr Mahmoud Maina, Research Fellow at the School of Life Sciences, was awarded the Wellcome Trust Public Engagement fund, following a successful application entitled Scientific Literacy in Nigeria: Boosting Science Communication and Journalism. In an attempt to tackle inaccurate reporting of science in the media, the project will bring together local scientists and journalists and provide them with training, with the ultimate goal of increasing public confidence in health research. Dr Maina said: “This award will enable us to build such a strong network where journalists and scientists will form a long-term partnership that would facilitate and sustain engagements that promote public understanding, trust and support for science. I look forward to the execution of the project.”
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Making the leap from postdoc to principal investigator Moving from a PhD to a permanent academic position is incredibly difficult. In her research into this transition, Lynn McAlpine learned that it’s crucial to take control and be resilient to gain your first grant as a principal investigator. Academic career prospects for post-PhD researchers are precarious. According to a 2017 editorial in Nature, only three or four out of every hundred PhD students in the UK go on to a permanent academic position. Regardless, many still aspire to this and often strive to gain grant funding to demonstrate their research potential—with success rates as low as 10 or 15 per cent. So what does it take to succeed? We interviewed 60 researchers who had been awarded a grant in the previous five years to gather their views on what it took to secure funding. Lynn’s top tips
- Be resilient, well prepared and tenacious.
- Listen to others and get as much feedback and training as you can.
- Be strategic in the focus of your time and effort.
- Be self-aware, self-reliant and self-critical.
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Research Funding
If applying for funding, remember to check funders' eligibility criteria carefully and discuss the opportunity with your host institution/department prior to preparing any applications.
Do look at Research Development webpages for guidance around applications |
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AACR-CRUK Transatlantic Fellowship
These enable US and UK postdoctoral researchers to develop their independent career in the UK and US, respectively. Fellowships are worth £300,000 each over a period of four years.
Deadline for Applications: 25th July 2019
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Postdoctoral fellowships
These enable early career scientists to broaden their research skills by moving into new areas of study while working in a new country conducting research in the life sciences. Fellowships last for three years and include living, relocation, research and travel support.
Deadline for Applications: 8th August 2019
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New Investigator Research Grant (NIRG)
This supports researchers who are capable of becoming independent principal investigators and who are ready to take the next step towards that goal within the areas of molecular and cellular medicine. Grants are tenable for three years.
Deadline for Applications: 4th September 2019
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Postdoctoral research bursary for clinical trainees
This supports clinical trainees undertaking a research project after completion of a PhD. The bursary is worth up to £35,000 over a maximum of two years.
Deadline for Applications: 26th September 2019
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New investigator scheme
This assists early-career researchers in securing their first major element of research funding.
Deadline for Applications: 2nd October 2019
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