Early Career Researchers and Academics

Through the University Innovation and Research department and the People, Environment and Culture department we have a range of programmes in place to support our Early Career Researchers and Early Career Academics to support them deliver research that is ground-breaking and has real-world impact. Whether that is through our Impact Team or through our pre-award team, sourcing funding and grants, we ensure our researchers are fully supported.  

We know that there are different definitions for the term ‘Early-Career Researcher’ (ECR) but at Derby, we class you as an Early-Career Researcher if you are within four years of completing your doctorate and are embarking on the first stages of your research career.

If you are a researcher or early-career researcher, we have several initiatives to support you:

• Support with funding and grant applications
• Early-Career Researchers Development Fund
• Support with quality and impact
• Early-Career Researchers Forum
• Early-Career Researchers Mentoring Scheme
• Early-Career Researcher Network

Support with funding and grant applications

The University's Research and Knowledge Exchange Office (URKEO) can help you navigate the research funding landscape and gain advice on appropriate internal and external funding opportunities. We can also support your research in identifying career-stage specific opportunities, including our Early-Career Researchers Development Fund.

Early-Career Researchers Development Fund

This fund enables you to apply for additional funding to support your professional development. For example, you could ask for funding to help pay for hosting or attending events or conferences, research consumables, or travel.

Support with quality and impact

As an applied university, we’ll encourage you to use your research to make a positive impact on the industry, the public services, or the wider society. We have a dedicated Impact Officer Team who can work with you to help identify ways to embed impact from the very outset of research projects, evaluation evidence and the safe storage of impact evidence.

The University will also help you make any submissions to the Research Excellence Framework (REF): the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

Early-Career Researchers Forum

This forum aims to encourage shared learning across colleges, research centres, and academic disciplines and to stimulate collaboration between our ECRs. It runs a range of workshops (at least once per term) to support your professional development; these will generally address the common challenges that ECRs experience and develop your research skills.

The forum also gives ECRs a voice within the University Professorial Council and other University committees. This means that ECRs get the opportunity to input into wider University strategic planning, which is particularly beneficial if you aspire to become an Associate Professor.

Early-Career Researchers Mentoring Scheme

Through this mentoring scheme, you can receive support and guidance on your research objectives from a senior member of staff. You will meet regularly to reflect on your work and progress, in a way that matches your personal requirements.

Early-Career Researcher Network

ECRs at the University have the opportunity to join the British Academy Early-Career Researcher Network which will support UK-based post-doctoral research in the humanities and social sciences. The network will support career development through opportunities to strengthen skills and networks and will offer additional experience.