Researcher Education and Development Scholarship Conference 2018

Details and information of the inaugural Research Education and Development Conference, held on 24th and 25th October 2018.

Overview

The 2018 conference was held at Coventry University on the 24th and 25th October, the focus was 'Academia as the alternative career — developing researchers for a range of future-selves'.

The hearts and minds of many researchers continue to be dominated by the notion that there is 'One True Career Path' open to them. Their belief is further enabled by the discourse surrounding careers for those leaving the academy persistently utilising negative language such as 'alternative', 'outside Higher Education (HE)' and 'non-academic'. This is regrettable, given that the vast majority of doctoral and early career researchers will 'fail' in their pursuit of an academic career.

Researcher developers balance the tension of supporting researchers during their pursuit of an academic career, irrespective of how long or short that path is, whilst simultaneously optimising their development as professionals, in preparation for the post-academic life the majority will transition into.

The challenge of providing appropriate support is constantly changing and increasing - current researchers need an increasingly broader skill set to be successful in the higher education research and those moving into post-academic life need to develop and understand the key knowledge, behaviours and attributes they can offer the global knowledge economy.

So, how can researcher developers prepare, equip and empower researchers for their unknown future?

The fourth annual Researcher Education and Development Scholarship (REDS) conference also provided an opportunity to explore pedagogical, theoretical and conceptual approaches for developing researchers, for a range of future-selves.

The conference leaders also wished particularly to explore the wider role of researcher developers in influencing policy and strategy development in institutions.

See more information about the 2015 conference, 2016 conference and 2017 conference.

Who attended?

Researcher development colleagues, careers consultants, staff developers, academic researchers in higher education disciplines and Higher Education policymakers.

We welcomed presentation of:

Research outcomes of existing researcher development activity in terms of impact and efficacy of practice.
Research into new pedagogies, theories or programme concepts for the development of researchers.
Opinion pieces founded in existing research outputs that: project future pedagogical needs and programme concepts for the development of researchers; or, identify key gaps in the current published research in respect of the development of researchers.

Downloads

These works in progress are offered in the spirit of academic openness in research topics and processes. The content and ideas depicted remain the property of the author.

To discuss, develop, or cite any of the works, email the author directly.

1. Phipps (PPT, 7.74MB)

2. Guccione and Bryan (PPT, 140kB)

3. Day (PPT, 1.18MB)

4. Compton-Daw (PPT, 4.46MB)

5. White and Seabourne (PPT, 2.15MB)

6a. Devecchi (PPT, 5.22MB)

6b. Stepniak (PPT, 9.25MB)

7. Brown and Collins (PDF, 199MB)

8. Ward and Guccione (PPT, 629MB)

9. Moore (PPT, 2.02MB)

Download the full REDS 2018 programme (PDF, 84.9kB)