Skills every early career academic needs

By Eliza.Compton, 2 November, 2023
ECR skills spotlight image
What beginners need to know to thrive in every aspect of their university careers
Skills every early career academic needs
What beginners need to know to thrive in every aspect of their university careers
ECR skills spotlight image

From how to get published to how to get promoted, early career academics and researchers require a slew of skills that stretch far beyond the lab or the lecture theatre. This collection of resources covers career advice, networking, working internationally, funding and grant applications, mentoring, time management, staying well and strategies to navigate the complex world of academia. 

Skills for success in an academic career
Resources
By Eliza.Compton, 16 October, 2023

How do you leap from research lab to Silicon Valley start-up?

Rocket launching from research concept
The good news is that times of turmoil are ideal for innovation – and far more skills are transferable from bench to IPO than you might imagine. Here are eight actions that will get your start-up off the ground
Reading time
4minutes
Group of people tangled in string
Forging your own path
Resources
By Eliza.Compton, 12 September, 2023

An academic’s advice for navigating risk

Illustration of penguin ballooning over sharks, risk and uncertainty concept
From publication to grant applications, the rites of academia come with unfavourable odds. Yet researchers are rarely taught how to deal with uncertainty. Here, Yaniv Hanoch offers mitigation strategies
Reading time
4minutes
Fist bump
By Eliza.Compton, 30 August, 2023

Pathways to prosperity in casual academia

Person on a tightrope
The journey from adjunct to permanent requires adaptability, foresight and self-awareness. Here, Andrew Stapleton offers tips – such as diversifying skills, strategic branding and mobility – to enhance an academic career
Reading time
4minutes
By Miranda Prynne, 30 June, 2023

Six steps to overcoming setbacks and rejection

A young woman expressing disappointment over her work
Rejection is an inevitable part of being an academic, so it is vital to develop strategies to cope with and learn from setbacks in order to succeed in the longer term. Paul A. Walcott shares six such strategies
Reading time
4minutes
Writing and getting published
Resources
By Eliza.Compton, 2 November, 2023

What is your academic writing temperament?

Young man writing on a laptop
Many early career researchers struggle to write enough. The key is to move away from an abstract notion of productivity and towards a productive writing process, explains Rachael Cayley. Here, she offers questions to help ECRs find their writing rhythm
Reading time
5minutes
Young woman studying
Funding and research proposals
Resources
By Miranda Prynne, 27 June, 2022

A guide to writing grant proposals

Image showing two academics working together on a grant proposal
To write a successful grant proposal, academics need to focus on the relevant details that will help sell their research idea to the reviewer and this requires a shift of mindset, as Kaycie Butler explains
Reading time
3minutes
Asian man on plane
Making the mentoring relationship work
Resources
By Eliza.Compton, 4 September, 2023

Six lessons from facilitating a formalised mentoring programme

Mentoring session
An institutional formalised mentoring scheme can offer invaluable career guidance for early- and mid-career academics. Here, based on 15 years of managing a programme for academic staff, Karen Mather offers her key takeaways
woman talking to young man
Life online as an academic
Resources
By Eliza.Compton, 26 October, 2023

Dealing with abuse after public commentary

Fingers on keyboard, trolling concept
Communicating to the public can result in abuse of academics. Here, University of Southampton staff describe their experiences and provide tips on anticipating and dealing with trolling