Life in Thesis-land : research careers week 2007

Research and Research Careers

Karen.Hall — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 05:55:00 GMT

Today - Tuesday - has been filled with information on developing a careers in research.

The logical place to start is Robyn Owens' talk on 'Developing and Maintaining a Research Degree' which took an abstract and reflective approach to the topic. My summary is going to be radically inadequate in capturing what was a fascinating and informative account, so I'd urge people to listen to the Lectopia recording when it goes online later this week or early next week. However, here the summary goes:

3 Aspects in Developing a Research Career

Strength in research methods: knowing your discipline deeply and broadly, and having a high level of skill in the tasks required in your discipline of research
Communication: both formal and informal, written and oral. Also being able to understand community needs and communicate how your research meets those needs.
Professionalism: understanding the framework in which you will work - universities, government, funding agencies - and appropriate behaviour in terms of things like ethics and team work.

3 Phases in Research Careers

Early (PhD + 5yrs). Note special funding and opportunities available to Early Career Researchers. Often characterised by short-term jobs and moving around.
Middle. Need to build a support structure and research team (including having students/taking on a supervisorial role). Chances to think about bigger scale projects at a higher level of abstraction.
Later. Leadership, policy and administrative roles. Review phase - thinking about your body of work and trace in the discipline field.

Know Thyself

Splitter (details, analysis) or Clumper (synthesis, creative)?
Risk taker (creative, potential failures) or Risk Adverse (fewer mistakes, less creative)?
Social or Solo operator?

Know how you work, learn how to work with people who have different or opposing styles.

8 Tips for a Long Life as a Career Researcher

Publish
Get a reputation for quality (don't go for quantity over quality). Think about signifiers of quality (high impact journals, citations, strategic co-authorship, winning grants, awards, prizes).
Be humble
Be confident
Build networks
Build a team and think about your lineage in the area
Be a global citizen
Have respect for others

International Research Experience: How To and Why

Karen.Hall — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 06:08:00 GMT

Why?

Gain other perspectives on your research
Make a difference on a world scale
Build your career, get exposure
Get access to data/equipment/research expertise
Collaboration can enhance productivity

How To

Post-docs: don't wait for them to be advertised, get in touch with people and write yourself in on grant applications
Make contact with people: conferences, follow-up emails, phone
Bring people here: be a good host
Awards and exchange programs: Fulbright, Churchill etc. Get people outside your discipline to read applications.
Show how your research adds value to the people who will host you
Set things up in advance: lay the groundwork in advance
Have a plan for what you want to achieve

Be passionate about what you do and be proactive.

Life as an Academic

Karen.Hall — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:15:00 GMT

Life as an Academic

One of the main themes of this session was that 'life as an academic' is not a homogenous category. The experiences of an academic who teaches and researches will different to those who are primarily research orientated. Even as you might move through different stages of academic life and life outside academia your focuses and experiences will vary. For example, starting a teaching/research job will demand a lot of time on teaching as you deal with new courses; small grants and teaching relief might allow more of a focus on research.

The audience was very interested in transition from postgraduate to academic: managing a shifting sense of identity, dealing with changing collegial relationships, the different skills required (like grant writing) and researching without the framework of the PhD and supervision. Dr Tanya Dalziell, the presenter, emphasised that the pleasures and passions of an academic life risk overwhelming 'having a life'. However, there is increasing institutional support for work/life balance and working as an academic enables you to pursue ideas and intellectual exchange in a way not possible elsewhere.

Liveblogging Research Careers Week

Karen.Hall — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 01:11:00 GMT

I'm currently sitting in the foyer of the Tattersall Lecture Theatre, waiting for the PSA Research Careers Week to begin. Friday was a little bit crazy with all the last-minute preparation, but here we are now ready to go. The first session - right now, if you are reading this in real time - is on 'Life as an Academic', but there will be things happening all day, so come on down!