ECR Blog: Dr William Perry writes about his experience with grassroots conference

Dr William Perry is a postdoctoral researcher at Cardiff University’s Water Research Institute. In November 2024 he gave the keynote talk at the annual Wales Ecology and Evolution Network (WEEN) conference, which took place at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), Machynlleth. In this blog article, he reflects on the conference and the journey WEEN has taken in the decade since it formed. 

WEEN is a grassroots organization run by postgraduate students from Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea Universities. It brings together early career researchers (ECRs) working in the biological sciences across Wales. The conference fosters valuable research links between Welsh academic institutions and provides a platform for a broad range of novel interdisciplinary research. November’s event was no different. Talks ranged from how flies view their environment (Matthew Sparks, Swansea University), how rare lizards are coping with the restoration of Round Island, Mauritius (Charlotte Taylor, Cardiff University) and how bacteria are associated with Menai Strait sponge health (Eve Gwynedd, Bangor University).  

Given the broad range of specialisms in the audience, the talk I delivered was titled “A somewhat fishy academic journey: insights from a decade of research and a decade of WEEN”. The title hints at the research I have conducted on my favorite organisms, fish, but also the seemingly strange string of projects I have been involved with along the way. These glimpses into previous projects included deep sea shark (population genetics of the velvet belly lanternshark), what makes salmon “sexy” (sexual selection in Atlantic salmon aquaculture) and turning poo to policy (wastewater surveillance of pathogens to inform policy on public health). While I talked about the outcomes of these projects, in terms of results and scientific insights, I also reflected on what these projects taught me about research, with the hope of imparting some useful tips to those starting their academic journey: 

• Not all elements of a project will bring you joy; focus on those bits that do. 
• Collaborate, value good collaborators and don’t hesitate to work across disciplines. 
• Have fun communicating your science. 
• Don’t be afraid to stray from your research area. 
• You may have to make tradeoffs between location and sticking to a specific research area. 
• Run with the side projects; they can sometimes be the most rewarding. 
• Find links back to areas you are passionate about. 

The chance for early career researchers to meet, demonstrate their research, and share career insights and advice simply cannot happen in a vacuum. That is why physical networks such as WEEN are so valuable. 

Last year’s event was particularly special because it celebrated WEEN’s 10th birthday. I attended my first WEEN in 2016 at the end of my MSci, and later, during my PhD at Bangor University, I was involved in its organisation (2017-2019). I even designed the current WEEN logo, which contains a gwyniad (species of fish endemic to Bala Lake), daffodil, red kite (a Welsh conservation success story, having gone from the brink of extinction in the UK to 300 breeding pairs), and European otter. The conference has, therefore, been a close companion along much of my academic journey, and I have witnessed its benefits firsthand. 

My experience with WEEN meant that I was perfectly placed to talk about its history. The first WEEN took place at the end of October 2014, under the name “HalloWEEN” at Gregynog Hall, Newtown. In 2016, the conference dropped the “Hallo”, and just became “WEEN”. However, in 2017 there was a marked shift in the organisation of WEEN, with a new logo and a new home at CAT. It also acquired a more formal structure. Having weathered COVID, WEEN 2022 and 2023 saw the highest ever numbers of delegates. Then in 2024, WEEN Limited was established, giving WEEN a separate legal entity from the organisers, thus protecting them from legal and financial risk. It also meant the establishment of a board of directors, made up of volunteers from previous WEEN organizing committees, who provide continuity between years. Therefore, in just 10 years, WEEN has gone from being a casual meeting of ECRs, run on ‘cash in hand’ and founded on a pun, to a limited company, with formalized structures, representing a thriving community of researchers in Wales. 

Despite the incredible progress WEEN has made over the last decade, and its many achievements, its future is by no means rosy. At a time when the costs of holding WEEN are increasing, we have an important job persuading potential partners, such as universities, to continue backing us. The generous support of Bangor and Swansea universities, as well as sponsors such as the Learned Society of Wales, is vital in allowing a vibrant community to continue meeting.  Having continued support to ECR-led pan-Wales Networks, such as WEEN, is of great value for universities, as they foster cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange and collaborations galvanizing cohesion, in Welsh research.  

The Learned Society of Wales supported WEEN by paying for Dr Perry’s conference registration and transport. More details about the LSW’s researcher development and early career researchers network can be found here.