The School of Physical Sciences hosted a seminar for early career researchers led by Professor Andy Cooper, FRS and Director of the Materials Innovation Factory. The event was attended by over 100 staff and research students from across the School of Physical Sciences.
Building an independent research career can seem daunting, let alone becoming a ‘research leader’, and there is no guidebook for doing this. The seminar covered some basic strategies for succeeding in research with a particular focus on advice for Early Career Researchers. It was aimed at junior faculty or postdoctoral researchers who are considering a future academic career, and it covered topics such as choice of research area, strategies for raising funds, building a research team, and successful models for collaboration. The talk drew on some real-life examples of both successful and unsuccessful approaches, and it was followed by a question and answer session and networking over refreshments.
