An example of an early career researcher. This hypothetical colleague – let’s call her Mila - is a postdoctoral research assistant, working on a collaborative project. She is 2 years out of her PhD, and still working on publications from her thesis. Part of her postdoctoral role involves supporting dissemination activities from the project, so she is gaining experience in organising workshops which engage with users; and she is also engaging in social media and writing blogs from the project. She is active in a range of peer and disciplinary groupings for early career researchers. For Mila, the tool provides a useful way of reflecting on what skills she is developing, and what areas she would like to focus on in the coming year or two, given her career goals. For example, if she is intending to apply for postdoctoral fellowship grants, she may want to focus more on the top third of the graphic (Fellowships, and Outputs). Alternatively, she may want to develop her role in more applied, collaborative grants, developing new methods skills and engagement with wider communities. If she is struggling to finalise publications for her PhD, she might want to discuss with her line manager reducing her activity on engagement. View and download a blank version of the Research Careers Tool | PDF This article was published on 2022-11-17
