Independent researcher sought to lead project on needs of Early and Mid-Career Researchers

The Learned Society of Wales is seeking an independent or freelance researcher to lead a research project and survey of how early and mid-career researchers self-identify, and the challenges they face at their various career stages.

The project will explore how researchers view their future careers, including whether they plan to stay in academia or continue working in research in Wales or elsewhere. The attention on mid-career researchers, in particular, acknowledges that their distinct needs and identities remain under-explored.

The Society is commissioning the project to help it refine the interventions and initiatives it runs via its research development programme and further promote a healthy, inclusive and sustainable research ecosystem in Wales. That will require input from a number of key stakeholders, from individual Fellows of the Society to the Wales Innovation Network, from Medr to the Welsh Ethnic Minority Professors Initiative. 

The project runs until January 2027. It will require at least a 0.5FTE time commitment over a 7-month period from the successful applicant, who will deliver a final report with key findings, learning points and actionable recommendations, and also develop a policy brief and infographic summary.

“We need to understand what gaps there are in provision for researcher development across Wales and the UK,” said Dr Barbara Ibinarriaga Soltero, Programme Manager for Researcher Development at the Learned Society of Wales. “This is particularly pressing for mid-career researchers, for whom targeted support is currently too limited.”

“We hope that the results of the survey will help us put in place a programme of events and support to fill those gaps. “This can contribute to our ongoing work to make Wales a great place to be a researcher and is why we’re thrilled the project has the buy-in of vital partners such as Medr and the Wales Innovation Network.”