Researcher Realities

Your research pathway doesn’t run in isolation, research has to accommodate life changes and events, some of which will have a profound impact on how you conduct research or your desire to do so at all. The speakers in this session will offer perspectives on the impact of different life events on the course of their research and offer reflections on how they maintained projects through challenging times or restored their passion for research after the dust had settled. This session aims to bring more visibility to the external issues that can shape research careers and open a frank conversation about what can be done to navigate the pathways. 

• Prof Ewa Luger (Edinburgh College of Arts) 

• Dr Gonçalo Dos Reis (Reader, School of Mathematics)  

• Dr Linus Schumacher (Chancellor’s Fellow, Reader, Centre for Regenerative Medicine / Centre for Engineering Biology)  

• Dr Noor Gammoh (Chancellor’s Fellow, Reader, MRC Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine) 

Moderator:  

• Al Innes (Edinburgh Research Office)

Interdisciplinarity is widely seen as the appropriate response to complex social, economic and environmental challenges. Interdisciplinary research and teaching initiatives have grown significantly in recent years, and there is now a wealth of experience and advice on ‘being interdisciplinary’. This session brings together academics from a number of societal challenges – water, food, energy, and beyond – to consider their experiences of interdisciplinary working.

Research integration is often considered a defining aspect of interdisciplinary research. It can be defined as the process of combining a wide range of perspectives from different disciplines (interdisciplinary integration), as well as from research, policy, and practice (transdisciplinary integration). In the second half of the session, the panellists will offer insights into the challenges of engaging in research integration, and share lessons learned.

• Prof Ann Bruce (Professor of Innovation in Food Systems, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Edinburgh)  

• Dr Isabel Fletcher (Senior Research Fellow in Food Policy and Systems Thinking, University of Edinburgh Business School / Researcher in Social Science and Food Systems, University of Edinburgh’s Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems)

• Dr Sabine Hoffmann (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland / Visiting researcher, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Edinburgh 2024-25)

• Prof Niki Vermeulen (Professor in Science, Technology and Innovation Studies, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Edinburgh)

• Dr Mark Winskel (Senior Lecturer in the Science, Technology, and Innovation Studies group in the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Edinburgh)

Moderator:  

• Dr Anna Pilz (Institute for Academic Development)  

How do we create value from research? 

To valorise your research means to create many types of value and impact through your work. Research valorisation is broader than commercialisation, knowledge transfer, and innovation. It includes writing non-academic articles, sitting on panels, advising, policy work, providing expert advice and guidance to name but a few. You are probably doing it already!  

Come to the panel discussion to hear from your academic colleagues across the University on their valorisation activities, what value they are looking to create, how they go about it, whom and what they involve. We’ll be talking about the highs and lows, their motivations and top tips for others, and will be answering your questions. 

• Dr Glaire Anderson (Senior Lecturer, Edinburgh College of Art) 

• Dr Marcus Price (Postdoctoral Research Associate, Rosser Lab, School of Biological Sciences) 

• Prof Tom Wishart (Reader in Molecular Anatomy, Roslin Institute) 

Moderator:  

• Dr Claire Pembleton (Edinburgh Innovations)