The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network: a network by ECRs for ECRs

Peris Wambui T. , Deputy Head of our Early Career Researcher Network, explains why it's more than just a network – it's a thriving researcher community.

We are approaching a year since the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network launched. It is an excellent point to celebrate and reflect on how far the Network has come since its inception and on its role in addressing some of the key areas requiring action set out in the government’s People & Culture Strategy.?

In Autumn 2021, we partnered with the Wolfson Foundation to pilot a network for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) in the humanities and social sciences. After the two-year pilot, the expectation is for this to be a UK-wide network tailored to researchers at the postdoctoral level in the humanities and social sciences disciplines.

The Network is for UK-based researchers who identify as early career researchers, broadly described as within 10 years of their doctorate, working in the humanities and social sciences disciplines and affiliated, for the pilot stage, with institutions in the Midlands, South West and Scotland.?

The principal aim of the Network is to provide an inclusive, researcher-led space, accessible to all researchers irrespective of their funding source or background. The Network is an environment where ECRs can thrive and develop their professional and personal skills. It is also crucial the ECRs inform the activities and opportunities offered in the Network, to ensure everything offered is fit for purpose and beneficial to all members.?

The Network already has nearly 2,000 members, demonstrating the need and demand by ECRs for a space where they can expand their professional relationships and benefit from training, workshops and events that will positively enhance their personal, research and professional development.?

To ensure everyone can benefit, the Network offers a broad range of events organised for, or by, ECRs, our partners and the Academy:

·??Media training

·??Policy training

·??How to write a compelling grant proposal

·??Interdisciplinary workshops

·??How to communicate social sciences research to a wider audience

·??Planning impact

·??Working outside of academia

·??International collaboration

·??From thesis to monographs: getting your PhD published

·??Writing retreats

·??Narrative CV training

·??How to maximise your online presence

·? And many more?

To meet everyone’s needs and to be inclusive, our events have been a mixture of online and in-person, allowing ECRs to come together, learn new skills and share knowledge and learning. Everyone is encouraged to suggest events and ideas for engagement.

Network members also have access to a community platform, which is a virtual space where ECRs are united by career stage, research interests, and goals. Through this, they can come together to meet, connect, and build relationships. This can help facilitate fruitful collaborations such as applying for funding, co-authoring journals, organising events and much more.?

The ambition is that the Network is seen as the sectoral vehicle, helping to bridge the gap between those ECRs who have job security and funding and those who do not, enabling all researchers to develop their skills and explore opportunities – in addition, filling a gap for those ECRs who find themselves without access to support structures.

The Academy’s ECR Network initiative has been praised for its role in addressing areas of action identified by the government’s People & Culture Strategy. Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation said: “There are many pressures on early career researchers at the moment. We are delighted and excited to be able to support these outstanding researchers to pursue imaginative research projects, with a range and quality that will have a significant impact on their fields of study.”

Professor Heather Widdows, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Transfer) at the University of Birmingham said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to advance equal access to training, career development and networks for all ECRs in the region, regardless of their background or departmental affiliation.”

The Academy collaborates with partners across the sector to align efforts in the interest of the ECR community. As we are seeing, the Network has the potential to be transformative for not only ECRs but the broader sector, placing ECRs at the heart and centre of change and allowing the sector to benefit from ECRs from all backgrounds.?

Click here to learn more about the ECR Network, sign up, and be part of the growing community. For organisations interested in collaborating on an event for the ECRs, please email?[email protected]

Find out more about the Early Career Researcher Network: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/early-career-researcher-network/