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REDS 2018

REDS Conference 2018: Academia as the Alternative Career — developing researchers for a range of future-selves

The 2018 conference was held at Coventry University on the 24th and 25th October.

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* PLEASE NOTE that 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, please email the author directly.

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 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 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.

Who attended? Researcher development colleagues, careers consultants, staff developers, academic researchers in higher education disciplines, and HE policy makers.

We welcomed presentation of:

  • Research outcomes of existing researcher development activity in terms of impact and efficacy of practice.
  • Research in to 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.

Pre-conference workshop: 'The Dynamic Development Model' designing the personal and professional development that works for you. The Dynamic Development Model is a new pedagogical approach for personal and professional development, widely applicable, but born out of and here contextualised to, the development of researchers. It is proposed that current, and long standing, practice in the professional development sector in higher education engenders passive engagement from participants. The ‘Dynamic Development’ pedagogy rejects passive engagement and acts to build active, sustainable, life-long, independence in professional development for the individual. The model is presented, explaining and working with the Static and Dynamic Development theoretical concept at its heart. The five other aspects that support the central concept and make up the full Dynamic Development Model are then introduced. You will have opportunity to work with the model examining your own personal and professional development as a way of exploring how you can use the ideas and concepts of dynamic development in your own practice. When you have completed your REDS registration we will contact you to offer you a place on the pre-conference workshop.

Conference content

Download the REDS2019 Programme

  • Keynote: This is not the career you’re looking for Download presentation Phipps
    Lawrie Phipps JISC
  • Better value? Bigger value? How could the value of a PhD be enhanced for different groups of graduates? Download presentation Guccione Bryan
    Dr Kay Guccione, University of Sheffield; Dr Billy Bryan Technopolis Consulting
  • EURAXIND - Careers Beyond Academia: An Horizon 2020 project examining researcher intersectoral mobility May 2016 – May 2018 Download presentation Day
    Emma Day, Vitae
  • Careers in limbo: using social theories of learning to support doctoral graduates in transition Download presentation White Seabourne
    Dr Danielle White DCW consultancy and Dr Anna Seabourne​,University of Huddersfield
  • ​Life Beyond a PhD: Working with PhD students as co-researchers to re-imagine their employability skills Download presentation Devecchi
    Dr Cristina Devecchi, Northampton University 
  • Supportive and Sustainable: Creating an Interactive PGR Community at the University of Northampton​ Download presentation Stepniak
    Anthony Stepniak, Maitreyee Buragohain, Sue Watling, University of Northampton
  • ​Using creative methods for self-reflection to support PhD students’ well-being Download presentation Brown Collins
    Dr Jo Collins​, Dr Nicole Brown, University of Kent
  • Networking and career seeking as planned behaviour: experiences of engaging with an online mentoring platform got careers beyond academia Download presentation Ward Guccione
    Dr Steph Ward, Dr Kay Guccione, University of Sheffield
  • Reimagining ‘becomings’: Disrupting notions of ‘ought’ selves among doctoral and early career researchers who teach Download presentation Moore
    Dr Sarah Moore, University of Sheffield
  • Chaotic Careers Cabaret: either/or? Why we need a chaotic approach to research careers click to watch presentation
    Dr Kieran Fenbe-Hulse​, Coventry University