Support for budding researchers
by Charlotte Knottenbelt
They
are researching in two vastly different fields – health and marketing –
but Doctors Jo Harrison and Kamal Ghose have more in common than you
might at first think. As early career researchers they are both working
hard to build their reputation in highly specialised fields, and thanks
to a professional development program offered by UniSA, they're
developing the skills and networks they need to succeed.
The Early Career Researcher Development Program was introduced to respond to the specific needs of people who have completed their PhD in the last five years. The program is open to researchers from all disciplines, and this year has consisted of a series of workshops and seminars on topics such as 'making grant money work for you', 'locating, applying and managing grants', and 'commercialisation and intellectual property.'
Dr Harrison – whose research into the recognition of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex clients in the aged care sector compared action around education, policy development and service provision in Australia and the US – says the program has been extremely useful.
“I think it's great that the university is acknowledging that there is a group of early career researchers – people who have new ideas and are willing to take risks – and our needs can be very different from longer-established researchers,“ she says.
“When you're starting out and trying to attract funding, it's often a
case of 'can't get the grant because you haven't got it before'. This
program links you up with others who have been successful in applying for
grants, which has been a real help.“
Dr Ghose agrees. He has been developing a model to help organisations better
deliver the promises they make to customers via marketing messages, and says
one of the best things about the program has been “realising that you're not
alone.“
“I've met a lot of people who, like me, have done some research but want some advice on how to build it into a career. The program shows you how to do it step by step,“ he says.
The next Early Career Researcher workshop will be on publishing and will be held on Friday October 29 at Underdale campus. For more information on this and other workshops, phone 8302 2243 or email bridget.garnham@unisa.edu.au