Are you seeking an opportunity to advance your research career? What are the common pitfalls ECRs experience while trying to advance their research career. This presentation will take you through all you need to know about seeking global opportunities as an ECR.

1. AuthorAID-TETFUND, Nigeria
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❖ Introduction
❖ Challenges Facing ECRs
❖ Career Growth Advantage
❖ Capacity Building Recommendations
❖ Improving Your Research Activities
❖ Case Study (My Personal Journey)
❖ Dialogue
❑ Outline

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❑ An early career researcher (ECR) is an individual within five years from the date
of their first research-relatedappointment(RRA), minus eligible delays in
research (CRCC, 2020).
❑ RRA are defined as that where the individual has the autonomyto
conductresearch independently.
❑ ECR: An individual about to transition - or has recentlymoved - to fully
independentpositionsas investigators, faculty members, clinician scientists, or
scientific team leaders in industry(NIH, 2017).
❑ ECRs focus on establishingthemselves as the experts in their chosen
research areas
❑ ECR: An individual ≤10 starting PhD, ≤8 years post-PhD; ≤6 years of first
academic and/orRRA (UKRI, 2023).
❑ Who are Early Career Researchers (ECRs)

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❑ Post-PhD“what now?” (Careerissues & Coping with change)
❑ Lack of support from supervisors& mentorship
❑ Limited facilities, funding and resources for researcheducationand training
❑ Limited skills(Researchdesign, Writing, Presentation)
❑ Limited access to data & Data collectionTools
❑ Lack of collaborationopportunities
❑ Time management (Work-LifeBalance)
❑ Lack of researchculture& Limited ethical standards
❑ Inadequateefforts for prioritizationof researchproblems
❑ Missinglinkages between differentlevels and stakeholders
❑ Challenges We Face As ECRs

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❑ Improve science
❑ Very diversefuture leaders
❑ Open to new solutions
❑ Optimismand enthusiasm
❑ Hands-onrole
❑ Time availability
❑ Workforcemajority
❑ Career Growth Advantage

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❑ Self-development:Mentoring, Teamwork, Work–life balance, Career planning
❑ Researchskills: Data/Literature gaps, Study design, Network and collaborate,
Instrumentations, Data analysis
❑ Writingskills: Applicationsfor grants/research awards, Academic papers
❑ Engagement: Presentation, Digital media, Exchange programs (Teaching/Research),
Training (postdoctoral,technical, continueeducation, certifications), Engage policy
makers, Professional organizations
❑ Other Skills: Critical thinking, Problemsolving, Change management, English
proficiency, MS applications
❑ Capacity Building Recommendations

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❑ Improve Your Research Activities
❑ Demonstrateunderstandingof high-qualityresearch
❑ Ensure goals and objectivesare feasible
❑ Pay closeattentionto researchdesign & data analysis
❑ Utilizedatabases& in silicotools
❑ Involveteamwork and collaboratewisely
❑ Worktoward equity, diversity, and inclusion
❑ Anticipateconcerns or resistance
❑ Be determined and persistent
❑ Planfor sustainability
❑ Writegood papers (Novel, clear, non-plagiarized)
❑ IMRAD (introduction, method, result, and discussion)

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❑ EducationBackground:Six multidisciplinarydegrees
❑ Researchaccomplishments:USDA, NSF and USEPAfunded studies
❑ ResearchPublications: >10 research articles cited over 250 times
❑ Certifications: Diplomate of theAmerican Board of Toxicology
❑ Training: Leadership, postdoctoral, technical,Job interviews etc.
❑ Skills: Instrumentations, Computational tools
❑ My Personal Journey of Capacity Building

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❖ CRCC (2020). https://www.canada.ca/en/research-coordinating-committee/priorities/support-early-career-
researchers.html#1
❖ NIH (2017). https://researchtraining.nih.gov/career/early-career
❖ UKRI (2023). Early career researchers: career and skills development – UKRI
❑ Resources
❖ https://www.scientifyresearch.org/all-research-funding-developing-countries/
❖ https://beta.nsf.gov/science-matters/nsf-101-funding-opportunities-early-career
❖ https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/
❑ References

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❑ Thank You!!!
❑ Dialogue!