Overview

An Early Career Scientist (ECS) is a student, a PhD candidate, or a practising scientist who received their highest certificate (Bachelors/Masters/PhD) within the past five (5) years. The five-year period can be extended to allow for periods when the scientist was not working in science because of, but not limited to, caring and/or parental responsibilities, disability, personal illness, community obligations or national service.

AcIRSTD is seeking to invest in its future members, helping ECR and other scientists develop their career. Such investment in future members is done through meetings. Social events build and refresh networks and friendships, enabling students and early career researchers to forge a sense of community and to return to AcIRSTD in future years. AcIRSTD also operates a mentoring scheme which will focus on enabling ECRs to gain from the experience of longstanding members and AcIRSTD Fellows.

Our aim is to support the development of all research staff and to nurture our Early Career Researchers (ECRs), and existing staff who are able to initiate (or re-establish) a research career.

Why join?

• Enhance opportunities to peer-review for the Academy journal, International Journal of Scientific Research, Innovation and Technological Development (IJSRITD).
• An opportunity for personal and professional growth.
• Supportive access to senior colleagues within AcIRSTD for careers, specific scientific or relevant teaching and learning support and advice.
• Join the ECR mentoring program but are unable to attend the annual conference please email us for more information.
• Free attendance to the ECR networking luncheons at annual conferences.
• Enhanced networking opportunities.
• Early-Career Mentoring Initiative

The Early-Career Mentoring Initiative (ECMI) is a mentoring program designed to support early- and mid-career science researchers in West Africa region, especially for the benefit of researchers working in the most under-resourced, least advantaged parts of the region.

It provides informal mentoring support and research career development guidance to science researchers who are, because of their career stage and the resource constraints of the institutions in which they work, most in need of such support and least likely to have access to it otherwise.

Mentor-Mentee Meetings

Duration and Dates: ECMI runs for a period of six (6) months during which participants will commit to a minimum of four virtual/online or telephonic meetings (in addition to the initial ‘icebreaker’ group meeting mentioned below) on such dates and times as are agreed between each mentor and mentee pair.

Language: ECMI mentor-mentee meetings may be conducted in English language.

Early-Career Awards

AcIRSTD offers awards to ECRs each year during the annual AcIRSTD Conference. This scheme provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Through innovative projects, they will deliver shifts in understanding related to human life, health and wellbeing. By the end of the award, they will be ready to lead their own independent research programme.

Who can Apply?

You can apply to this scheme if you are an early-career researcher and you are ready to design, plan and deliver your own innovative research project that aims to:

- Advance understanding in your field and/or
- Develop methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools or techniques that could benefit health-related research.

Experience

You must have:

- Completed a PhD (for example, in the life sciences) or an equivalent higher research degree. At the point of application you must have passed your viva examination.
or
- If you have not started a PhD or equivalent degree, at least four years' equivalent research experience (for example, in the humanities and social sciences).

Young researchers can:

•  Make an action plan of what they wish to research next
•  Recognise and value themselves and others as knowledge creators
•  Accept responsibility for their research and learning
•  Work within a time frame
•  Build their communication skills and gain the confidence to present in front of a large audience.
•  Critically reflect on their learning, the research process, and themselves.
•  Make a valuable contribution to the learning of other people.
•  Create and research a question of particular interest to them.
•  Develop the ability to enquire in a disciplined, creative and critical scientific manner

You should be able to demonstrate:

• Research something that interests them
• Work within a time frame
• Gain confidence to present in front of an audience
• Be responsible for their own research and learning
• Reflect critically on their research process, how they learn and about themselves
• Engage with and create a community of inquiry
• A good understanding of research methodology
• Evidence of project delivery and analysis and
• Recognise and value themselves and others as knowledge creators