Coping with Rejection

Rejection is an integral part of academic life. Whether you’re applying for jobs or for funding, submitting journal articles or book proposals, or putting yourself forward for promotion, academics need to develop a thick skin in order to survive and thrive.

But rejection need not be crushing. At last month’s Early Career Researcher Network we looked at strategies for overcoming it and support available for coping with it.

ECRs: Positioning Yourself for a Fellowship

Kay Guccione

Last week Dr Kay Guccione (Sheffield) spoke to the Early Career Researcher Network about the difficult task of positioning yourself for a fellowship when you’re just starting out. Her insights came from a project she had undertaken, ‘Fellowship Ahoy!’, which looked at the key behaviours of those who had been successful in securing a fellowship.

“I was frustrated at hearing people who had worked really hard say, ‘I was just really lucky’” she began. ‘It’s not all about luck, individual agency is a major component in recent models of academic and researcher development.’

Grants Factory and Early Career Researcher Network 2016-17

We've finalised the Grants Factory and Early Career Researcher Network workshops for 2016/17. Below is the full list. Events are free, open to all, and refreshments are provided. However, spaces are limited, and offered on a first come, first served basis. If you want to come to any of these sessions, contact me. 

ECR Network: How to Engage the Public with your Research

The second Early Career Researcher Network event of this term will take place on Thursday 4 February between 12noon and 2pm, and will focus on how to engage the public with your research.

The idea of engaging the public with your research has becoming increasingly important over recent years, and was given added impetus with the introduction of ‘impact’ in 2008. Impact was measured in the last REF, and rumour has it that it will be even more important in the next exercise. But what do we mean by impact, public engagement, outreach and public involvement? What is the difference between these terms that are often used synonymously? And how can academics ensure that they are maximising this important element of their work?

This session will be led by Prof Paul Allain (Arts) and Dr Vicky Mason (SPS), both of whom have had considerable experience in outreach, engagement and impact. The new Impact and Engagement Officer, Maddy Bell, will also be on hand to discuss people’s ideas. However, as ever the ECRN session is an opportunity to talk to others at the same point in their career, to share your experience, and to offer help and advice to each other.

Lunch will be provided. The event is free and open to all, but places are limited so please let me know if you intend to come along. If you would like to come, I will ask you to draft a brief outline paragraph of your research and (if appropriate) any public engagement plans you have, so that these can be the focus of small-group discussions.

Early Career Researcher Network: Events this Term

ECRN: listening to others, making connections, sharing your experiences

The programme of events for the Early Career Researcher Network has been agreed, and I'm just sorting out all the venues. If you're an ECR at the University of Kent and want to come along to any of these, do drop me a line: they're free, and refreshments are provided.

ECRN: Balancing the Conflicting Demands of Academia

The first Early Career Researcher Network event of this term will take place next Wednesday, 13 January between 1-3pm, and will focus on how to balance the conflicting demands of academia.

Starting off in academia can be difficult. Not only are you trying to establish your research career, but you are having to cope with the new demands of teaching and supervision, as well as understanding what is required of you as a 'good citizen' within your department. Outside of work you may have conflicting demands from family and home.

This session will be led by Prof Sarah Spurgeon (EDA) and Prof Gordon Lynch (SECL), both of whom have had to juggle conflicting demands within their own lives. It will be an opportunity to hear from them, but also to hear from other ECRs across the University, to share your experience, and to offer help and advice to each other.

Lunch will be provided. The event is free and open to all, but places are limited so please let me know if you intend to come along.

Further ECRN events are scheduled for the rest of the term (details to follow).  In addition, the Graduate School provides a comprehensive programme of skills development training. More info here (pdf).

Grants Factory and ECR Network Events: Spring Term

Welcome back to the new term!

There is a full programme of workshops, talks and events this term as part of the Grants Factory and ECR Network. All of them are free, and refreshments will be provided. There will be more detail on each of these nearer the time but if you already know which ones you want to attend, do get in touch.

Fundermental Top 10 of 2013

It's that time of year, isn't it? Never mind peace on Earth and goodwill to all: give us your lists! What have you been watching? What have you been reading? Where have you gone? What have you eaten?

So, in the spirit of the season, here are the ten most read posts on the blog this year. It's like a mix tape of the best bits, and a reminder of what we've all been thinking about this year.

1. Notes from OA Forum (January). I can't believe it's been almost a year since we held this event.

   

   No. 1: OA Forum

   2013 is the year that Open Access became mainstream, when we consulted on and drafted an OA Policy. This was part of the process, and maybe its popularity came from many people being in the same boat, trying to work out exactly what they were going to do about OA.
2. Thinking Imaginatively about Impact (May). Although OA has dominated people's minds (after the REF, natch), Impact continues to have a hold. Kevin Parker of KKI

   

   No. 2: Impact

   Associates came and spoke about how to be creative with interpreting impact. Inspiring.
3. EPSRC Bingo (October). Whilst Fundermentals is meant to inform with notes on meetings such as those on OA and Impact above, it's also meant to be a way of sharing frustrations - hopefully with a bit of humour. This came from reading one policy document too many.
4. Essential Elements of a Good Application (November). A write up of a Grants Factory event this year. We brought together four academics who have had experience of the BBSRC, ESRC, AHRC and EPSRC, and it was a really useful panel session. 

   

   No. 4: Essential Elements

5. AHRC: View from the Committee Room (February). I've taken part in a couple of AHRC training events this year, to talk about what we do at Kent with internal peer review. This post was writing up the hints and tips of one of the other speakers, Prof Roberta Mock of Plymouth University.
6. H2020: Where We're at (July). As well as the growth of OA, we've all been keeping a weather eye on the development of the new European funding programme, Horizon 2020. This was an overview of the developments mid-year, after coming

   

   No. 6: H2020

   back from the EARMA Conference in Vienna.
7. Meanwhile, in Moscow Airport (July). Another bit of silliness. In the summer all eyes were on Moscow Airport as whistleblower Edward Snowden fled American authorities. I couldn't help but see certain similarities between him and the Times Higher's own Phil Baty...

   

   No. 8: Recycling

8. Recycling your Proposal (May). A write up from last year's Grants Factory. The low success rates of the research funding process means that applicants need to think about what to do if their bid fails. Here's some ideas.
9. Balancing the Conflicting Demands of Academia (June). Last year we launched the Early Career Researcher Network. These were the notes from a really useful session, at which many shared their experiences, and learnt from each other.

   

   No. 9: Balancing

10. Introduction to Open Access (June). So the list ends as it began: with OA. This was six months after the OA Forum, when we stopped to take breath, gather our thoughts, and try and distill what OA is all about.

Thanks to you all for reading the blog this year. If you have any thoughts or ideas on things that should be covered in 2014, drop me a line.

ECRs: Planning your Career

Prof Sally Sheldon

Prof Sally Sheldon and Dr Simon Black led the first of this year's Early Career Research Network meetings by considering how to 'plan your career'. This isn't necessarily as straightforward as it sounds: in any area of work we're restricted by the opportunities we're given, and however strategic we mean to be, life has a tendency to offer up alternatives paths.

 However, the session was a useful opportunity for those attending to take a step back and think about both the aspirations they had for their careers, and the challenges they faced. After a brief discussion, the audience offered a variety of career aims, ranging from the fairly straightforward (completing probation) to the more ambitious (establishing a research centre), and all points in between: writing a successful funding bid, publishing a book, and hosting a conference. Their 'challenges' were all too familiar: managing workloads, short term contracts, working to someone else's agenda and fierce competition for both permanent positions and research funding. 

Dr Simon Black

Although many of the opportunities in Sally's career had been serendipitous, its overall progress had followed a fairly straightforward academic path. Simon, however, had followed a more varied route. He had got a PhD in Management, continuing to publish whilst working in a large corporation, before deciding to move in a different direction and taking an MSc in Wildlife Conservation. He now split his time between publishing and working as a researcher, and working in Human Resources.

 Both Sally and Simon demonstrated that there was no single path that was appropriate - or available - to all. Simon suggested that ECRs should see the totality of their role and the skills they had developed. Most had four distinct aspects to their working life:

• Teaching/professional: perhaps the most obvious aspect, and is often what comes to mind when we think about work; 
• Individual skills: all of us have developed these over our working lives, from time management and decision making to planning and networking. 
• Organisational knowledge: such as an understanding of the School, the University and the sector, and could include a knowledge of (say) course development and finances;
• Leadership/Teamwork: experience of collaboration, group decision making, or managing meetings. 

Thinking in these terms may make you recognise that you have many more skills, and much more knowledge, than that just that gained within your discpline. However, in considering how to plan your career you should:

• make sure that you've got an appropriate and supportive mentor. Good mentoring is crucial in helping you to understand your options and make the most of your opportunities. If this is not being offered, you need to think where you can get the necessary support. Consider approaching alternative senior staff, who may be more supportive, or discuss issues with both peers (to get an understanding of what you should expect), and with HR. 
• be open to opportunities. These may come from colleagues or students, or from completely unexpected sources. Simon highlighted how he had expanded his network globally, and being open to opportunities had led to him developing new courses or new ways of teaching, new methods or new responsibilities. 
• be aware of what's expected. Sally gave an insight into the work of both appointment and promotions committees, and highlighted the importance of a strong publication record. Knowing what the expectations are will help to prepare you in meeting them. 
• offer solutions. If your current situation is not ideal, think of what is needed to improve it. Less teaching? More research time? An opportunity to be a lead author? With this goal in mind, consider what needs to change in order to make it happen, and approach your Head of School or Group Leader with a solution. People are more likely to respond favourably if they are presented with a solution rather than a problem. 

Simon finished the session by highlighting Steven Covey's seven habits. Whilst some may resist the 'self-help-ism' of this list, it does offer a useful framework in which to think about planning your career.The full list is available in the book and on the website, but includes:

• Be proactive. It's easy to be reactive and wait for change, but it's more productive to instigate change yourself; 
• Begin with the end in mind. What's your vision? What are your values? How do you want to work? Think about what you want, and keep that vision in mind; 
• Plan. Understand what your commitments are, and fit your ideas around these. This might mean 'blending' teaching and research. There's no perfect plan and of course your plan might change, but think methodically about what needs to be done, and what you can do within your limits; 
• Work with others. Listen, understand, collaborate, and don't burn bridges. 
• Balance your life. It's easy to be focussed to the point of insanity. Sometimes you need to take a step back and, in doing so, you become a more effective academic. 

Simon and Sally's slides will be made available on the Research Services website shortly. The ECR Network will continue with a programme of workshops and more informal social events throughout the year. If you want to join the ECR mailing list, drop me a line.

Grants Factory 2013-14

This year sees our most ambitious Grants Factory yet. Not only are we continuing with the programme of workshops run by experienced academics, but we're building on the success of last year's Early Career Researcher Network to offer a forum for ECRs to meet and discuss issues around developing their careers, and we're complementing both with a series of Writing Group drop-in sessions.