The Strategy sets out how the Centre for HealthTech Innovation will support Early Career Researchers (ECRs) – research staff, academics and fellows who are at the start of their careers, or existing staff who want to initiate or re-establish a research career.
Who are Early Career Researchers?
Depending upon context, there are different definitions for ECRs. The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) defines Early Career Researchers as a researcher undertaking doctoral studies, through to immediate post-doctoral research and into transitioning into independent researcher. Other definitions identify ECR as a researcher within 4-5 years of completing their doctoral degree.
Get involved: if you are an ECR and would like to work with us, email the Centre for HealthTech Innovation at CfHI@leeds.ac.uk
Early Career Researchers at the University of Leeds
The University of Leeds (UoL) has a strong diverse community of ECRs, spanning throughout all schools and faculties. ECRs make up a significant proportion of researchers at UoL, carrying out diverse research activities and contributing to the university’s overall research outputs. A large proportion of ECRs working within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) research areas, have a vested interest in establishing research careers that focus on addressing global healthcare challenges and the current climate of unmet healthcare and clinical needs. The University of Leeds has a strong standing relationship with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT), facilitating a large diverse portfolio of healthcare research carried out in Leeds. LTHT split over the different hospital sites, give UoL researchers, an abundance of resources and support to advance healthcare research.
Researcher Development Concordat
The Researcher Development Concordat, developed in 2019 by the Concordat Strategy Group and Universities UK, are a set of guidelines adapted for universities to increase the appeal and sustainability of researcher careers in the UK. The University of Leeds is a signatory of the Concordat and is committed to supporting the career progression of research staff, with opportunities for professional and personal development. At the institutional level, UoL has obligations to ‘Provide researchers with opportunities, and time, to develop their research identity and broader leadership skills’ (Institutional responsibility of the University in accordance with the Researchers Development Concordat, OD&PL Researcher Development and Research Culture). This is especially important to ECRs, who are establishing a footing in academic research with ambitions of securing independent research positions.
Early Careers Researchers and CfHTI
The Centre for HealthTech Innovation (CfHTI) at Leeds brings together researchers and clinicians from UoL and LTHT into a community, promoting the development of healthcare technologies.
The CfHTI is an essential initiative for the clinical translation of technologies and the implementation of strategies that have been developed through research at Leeds.
The mission of the CfHTI is to propel HealthTech innovations to clinical adoption for maximum impact with a vision to create a connected, innovation-driven, and challenge-led HealthTech innovation ecosystem. ECRs can and should play an important role in delivering these objectives through their research undertakings and become a more prominent part of the connected ecosystem. Hence, the mission of the CfHTI ECR strategy is to increase the engagement of ECRs with the CfHTI to drive forward the mission and vision of the Centre. This increased engagement will be beneficial to both ECRs and the larger community within CfHTI.
The CfHTI is well-situated to promote STEM ECRs at Leeds and accelerate ECR-led research ideas and projects into clinical practice. This will not only benefit ECRs in supporting their journey in developing their research identities but also serves as a platform for professional development and mentorship, through giving ECRs open access to connect with experienced and senior researchers.
UoL ECRs with innovative ideas and research proposals often rely on project supervisors and senior colleagues to make connections within LTHT and to seek support from clinicians. The community brought together by CfHTI can facilitate a more streamlined and efficient connection between ECRs, clinicians, healthcare workers and senior researchers, opening the door for increased collaboration and more impactful research.
Aims of the CfHTI ECR Strategy
- Strengthen and establish connections between ECRs from different disciplines and facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations
- Facilitate ECRs in identifying and accessing clinical support and expertise with transparency
- Increase access to senior UoL researchers and academics for advice, support and mentorship
- Support collaborations involving ECRs
- Promote ECR-led healthcare research
- Work with UoL faculties in supporting ECRs in establishing independent research careers
- Facilitate connections between ECRs working on HealthTech research
- Identify ways for ECRs to connect with industry partners
The following section sets out the strategy in which the CfHTI can support ECRs:
- Strengthen and establish connections between ECRs from different disciplines and facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations
- Publishing a forum website where ECRs can interact with other ECRs to ask questions, share their experiences, and discuss topics of mutual interest.
- Holding networking events bringing together ECRs from different disciplines to benefit from peer interactions. Examples of networking events:
- ECRs 5 Minute Inspirations - at which ECRs can give a five-minute presentation/description/demonstration concerning topics that inspires them.
- Early Career Researchers Meeting & Informal i.e. Coffee sessions
- “Pint of HealthTech” (like “Pint of Science” or “Pint of Robotics” formats) monthly seminar series which brings ECRs to a local pub/cafe/space to share their research
- Facilitate ECRs in identifying and accessing clinical support and expertise with transparency
- Holding open platform and networking events bringing together ECRs and clinical experts
- Publishing webpages where both ECRs and clinicians can set up profiles with contact details, research interests and skill sets.
- Having a dedicated Teams page for PPI opportunities and patient cohorts
- Increasing access to senior UoL researchers and academics for advice, support and mentorship
- Networking events for junior and senior UoL researchers to engage and identify opportunities for mentorship and collaboration.
- Support collaborations involving ECRs
- Identify funding opportunities for ECRs research projects
- Facilitate the writing of letters of support for funding applications
- Promote ECR-led healthcare research
- Publish ECR-led projects on the CfHTI website
- Offer expert peer review from senior UoL researchers and academics when writing funding applications
- Run dedicated events where ECRs can present to clinicians, researchers, patients, and the public
- Work with UoL in supporting ECRs in establishing independent research careers
- Work with university faculties to support ECRs across all research areas
- Support ECRs in liaising with research finance and business teams when writing funding applications
- Offer support and advice to transitioning ECRs who are setting up their laboratories
- Form a database of example HealthTech funding applications that senior researchers are willing to share
- Facilitate connections between ECRs working on HealthTech research
- Organise events bringing ECRs together for possible collaboration opportunities
- Create an accessible forum for any ECRs to provide feedback for what support they are looking for from the CfHTI
- Identify ways for ECRs to connect with industry partners
- Form a database of industry connections that senior researchers and clinicians have.
- Facilitate contact between industry partners that ECRs may require in their research.
Written by
Early Career Researchers, CfHTI
- Ibrahim Khot – email Ibrahim Khot at M.I.Khot@leeds.ac.uk
- Silvia Taccola – email Silvia Taccola at S.Taccola@leeds.ac.uk
- Oguz Can Eren – email Oguz Can Eren at O.C.Eren@leeds.ac.uk
With support from:
- Clinical Director, CfHTI, Professor David Jayne – email David Jayne at D.G.Jayne@leeds.ac.uk
- Scientific Director, CfHTI, Professor Mike Bryant - email Mike Bryant at M.G.Bryant@leeds.ac.uk