Early Career Researchers
Inter- and transdisciplinary (ITD) early career researchers (ECRs) face various challenges performing their research and reaching their career goals. The ITD ECRs working group is focused on the support, peer-exchange and mentorship of early career researchers, lecturers and students. We discuss these challenges and prospects for future action with the aim of networking and jointly developed solutions.
Goals
The purpose of the Working Group is to provide a space for conversations, networking and support between researchers in various stages of their careers who are working in and around ITD. We aspire to reach the following goals:
○ Provide a platform for peer exchange between ECRs working at the intersection – and beyond – disciplines.
○ Provide a space for informal mentorship where ECRs are able to ask questions to more experienced researchers working in and with the inter- and transdisciplinary field.
○ Ascertain the most common challenges that are faced by ECRs working in ITD fields. This information could be the starting point for creating supervision guidelines for ITD ECRs.
○ Offer support and ideas for how to face these common challenges by creating content that can be used on the ITD Alliance website and ITD supervisors.
○ Offer concrete support for disadvantaged ITD scholars who are in the process of applying for academic positions and for those who are still in the process of acclimating to new environments (i.e., training, mentorship, sharing of ID/TD positions, interview advice, CV review etc.).
Activity
Currently we hold monthly virtual meetings where ECRs come together with more experienced academics. Prior to the meeting, it is decided whether there is a particular topic of discussion that is important or timely to one of the participants. If there is a prior topic to be discussed, then the person who suggests it will be responsible for moderating the session. Otherwise, the session is open and consists of ECRs addressing questions that challenged them.
If you are interested in attending one of our sessions to gain insight into our group, do not hesitate to contact BinBin J. Pearce.
ECR Handbook – Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research
Are you conducting or interested in incorporating aspects of interdisciplinary (ITD) and transdisciplinary (TD) approaches into your research projects? If yes, this Handbook provides you answers to common ITD/TD challenges and questions, which should help you to design your project. It should also help you to identify with the ITD/TD community, a vital part of the scientific landscape. The list was compiled based on over fifteen meetings of the Early Career Researcher Working Group, discussing their challenges and concerns.
Leadership Board of the Working Group
The current Leadership Board of the Working Group consists of:
○ BinBin J. Pearce, Delft University of Technology, Assistant Professor
○ Irina Dallo, Swiss Seismological Service at ETH Zurich, Postdoctoral Researcher
○ Hammond Sarpong, Dundalk Institute of Technology, PhD candidate