Progression in academia is highly competitive and UKERC is committed to providing its Early Career Researchers, or ‘ECRs’, with development activities that will enhance their careers. We also want to ensure that ECRs have a voice in the consortium as part of our wider efforts to improve Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
It is important to note that there is no official definition of an ECR used throughout the academic community. It was therefore of primary importance for the consortium to agree on a definition, and determine who we are trying to reach, before creating any targeted opportunities.
In November 2021, UKERC’s first ECR Committee (outlined below) met to discuss this and many other issues. They highlighted that the academic career path is rarely linear, everyone’s experience is different and therefore there are many reasons why someone might identify as an ECR. However, they also recognised that ECRs share many characteristics, notably precarious employment circumstances and less experience managing large grants.
Therefore, going forward UKERC will define ‘ECR’ in two ways depending on the formality of the situation.
We chose not to refer to ‘years post-PhD’ as not all researchers have PhDs. We also avoided referring to a specific time frame, as this implies there is a ‘correct’ period within which to progress; this is not inclusive for those who have taken career breaks or have other demands on their time.
If you have any questions or comments regarding ECRs at UKERC, please contact Ahmed Gailani and Cc James Curwen.
We want to empower our ECRs and involve them in the design of targeted activities so that the opportunities we offer are both relevant and useful.
Therefore, in November 2021, we created UKERC’s first ECR Committee. This is a group of 11 volunteers who have very kindly offered to share their experiences, highlight activities they would find beneficial and help us to design tailored opportunities that suit the needs and interests of ECRs.
The Committee is chaired by Ahmed Gailani and its members are Asha Fullonton, Fabio Carvalho G Da Silva, Helen Poulter, Jess Britton, Katherine Sugar, Mathieu Blondeel, Oliver Broad, Richard Hanna, Rihab Khalid and Louis Fletcher.
Our Engagement Officer James Curwen is responsible for administration, with oversight from our Operations Manager Jessica Bays.
We are developing and deliver targeted opportunities for our ECRs. Please see open opportunities below. This webpage is updated regularly so please check for future opportunities as they are announced, you can also register for our newsletter which communicates opportunities as they arise.