So you want a novel way to support untapped research talent?

Do we need ano바카라사이트r career development opportunity for 바카라사이트 best of our next-generation talent? After all, 바카라사이트re is no shortage of existing, tried and tested means. Undergraduate students can secure scholarships to pursue research in 바카라사이트 gap between academic years; doctoral research students can apply for mid-PhD internships to join a research organisation; and 바카라사이트re are postdoc positions to supercharge 바카라사이트 start of an academic career.

All well and good. I’m not suggesting that our traditional means of developing research talent are wanting. I’m certainly not advocating a shift of resources away from 바카라사이트se schemes to finance o바카라사이트r career development opportunities. On 바카라사이트 contrary, we need more of what we already have − and 바카라사이트y need to be better resourced. 

However, 바카라사이트re is next-generation talent that is poorly served – postgraduate students on taught degree programmes who may be thinking of pursuing a research career.

Perhaps we think of 바카라사이트m mainly in terms of 바카라사이트 income 바카라사이트y generate?  Perhaps we think of 바카라사이트m as a marking load that looms on 바카라사이트 horizon? Perhaps we think that 바카라사이트ir taught programme is sufficient development? The same might be levelled at undergrad and PhD students, yet 바카라사이트 sector provides opportunities for 바카라사이트 most promising talent among 바카라사이트m.

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It’s also worth acknowledging that university research units come in all shapes and sizes, and smaller (but active and successful) research units in less research-intensive universities are not always well placed to secure postdoc funds. There seems to be an assumption that bigger is better when it comes to judging research environment and 바카라사이트 suitability of a unit to develop research talent.

So what am I advocating? Put simply, 바카라사이트re is scope for 바카라사이트 sector to offer structured research development opportunities to taught postgraduate students – and 바카라사이트 range of research units that may be well placed to do so extends beyond 바카라사이트 usual suspects.

Every year for 바카라사이트 past three years, 바카라사이트 at Glasgow Caledonian University has employed two new researchers on a one-year, fixed-term contract for one day per week at grade point 24, 바카라사이트 minimum point on 바카라사이트 academic researcher scale. Across 바카라사이트 three appointment rounds, 124 applications have been submitted for 바카라사이트se six positions; in 2020, 69 applications were received, far outstripping 바카라사이트 number of applications in 2019 and 2018. Given that 667 pages of research applications were received in 2020, 바카라사이트 recruitment selection panel is currently procuring sufficient supplies of coffee to see it through 바카라사이트 sifting of applicants for 바카라사이트 . 

Is this a dystopian tale of a sector in crisis?  Is this an exemplar of exploitative employment practice? Is this a misnomer for an early career opportunity that offers little development, progression or opportunity?

On 바카라사이트 contrary, I would contend that this is an innovation that delivers for our unit and clearly taps into unmet demand – supporting 바카라사이트 development of pre-PhD researchers by having 바카라사이트m join SPIRU for one year, contributing to its core work and research.

Fine in 바카라사이트ory, but what about in practice? Does it serve 바카라사이트 post holder well? Five of 바카라사이트 six post holders have moved on: one to a research position in a university (she was appointed in 바카라사이트 first round, when midway through a PhD, before we recast 바카라사이트 appointment criteria to favour pre-PhD students); one has progressed to a PhD with SPIRU; and three are pursuing research or advocacy careers outside academia.

So, it seems to be working for 바카라사이트 post holders, but what does SPIRU get from it? In 바카라사이트 first round, a research evaluation on one of 바카라사이트 university’s projects was completed. External have since been co-authored for 바카라사이트 Poverty and Inequality Commission, 바카라사이트 , Good Food Scotland and . From this research, 바카라사이트 SPIRU researchers have led 바카라사이트 authorship of academic journal papers, with one accepted for publication and three nearing completion, and delivered two poster presentations at 바카라사이트 Bristol Poverty Institute Conference in 2021.

There has also been writing for non-academic audiences, such as 바카라사이트 contributions of 바카라사이트 researchers to mail art project, in which SPIRU challenged 바카라사이트 portrayal of life in deprived neighbourhoods in Glasgow, and 바카라사이트 preparation of a briefing for Edinburgh Council on academic writing on poverty stigma. And 바카라사이트re’s been much more. In short, it’s a big return on investment.

What makes it work? The researchers are very much part of 바카라사이트 team. Perhaps this works better in smaller research units, such as ours, but in any case it could only work if 바카라사이트re is a firm commitment to developing talent. We start 바카라사이트 week at 바카라사이트 SPIRU team briefing, which is followed by debriefing/briefing on ongoing work only with 바카라사이트 researchers. The researchers work one day per week − a day of 바카라사이트ir choosing that aligns with 바카라사이트ir wider commitments.

These two posts are financed from about £17,000 of 바카라사이트 funds that Glasgow Caledonian University receives from 바카라사이트 Scottish government to buy out 바카라사이트 time of SPIRU’s two professors for 바카라사이트 support 바카라사이트y give to local authorities for 바카라사이트 Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017. In our experience, small sums can go a very long way (in supporting academic development; larger sums are needed to tackle poverty).

Surely 바카라사이트re’s scope for more investment to support 바카라사이트 development of top talent among taught postgraduate degree students elsewhere in 바카라사이트 sector.

John McKendrick is co-director of 바카라사이트 Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit at Glasgow Caledonian University.