Early career researchers (ECRs) are usually defined as individuals in the five years after completing a doctoral degree. These five years are fundamental in helping pave the way for a future in research, but knowing how and where to start can be a struggle, particularly when balancing research with weekly teaching load.
Browning et al. (2016) found that the key areas that ECRs need support in are workload, performance management and accountability. This blog post considers the interesting dynamic of being both an ECR, and a lecturer in the field of education, and the role of the wider school and faculty in supporting ECRs to reach their potential and avoid burnout.
For ECRs who began their pathway during the Covid-19 pandemic, outputs have been affected such as fewer opportunities for development, or these development events being delivered online and thus losing the social aspect of networking.
Research activity was reduced for many due to restricted access to settings such as schools or health providers due to Covid rules. Evidence shows that due to the lockdowns and altered social interactions – such as working remotely instead of on campus – ECRs have been affected in terms of research activity, researcher development, career prospects and wellbeing (Lokhtina et al., 2022).
