Seven keys to becoming a successful early career researcher/scientist

Seven keys to becoming a successful early career researcher/scientist

Dr. Anywar Godwin (Lecturer, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda) & Dr. Charles Kalinzi (Senior Teaching Fellow – Strategic Procurement, University of Portsmouth)

This blog post highlights seven key steps for early-career researchers (ECRs) to succeed, based on personal experience. These include creating a balanced career plan, pursuing a passion-driven research focus, committing to continuous learning, embracing collaboration, building resilience, communicating research effectively, and giving back through mentoring and peer-reviewing. It also emphasizes the importance of mentorship, both local and international, to guide ECRs in their careers, while stressing that success involves helping others along the way

Introduction:

Becoming a successful early-career researcher (ECR) in today’s world is no small feat. It requires a unique blend of passion, resilience, and strategic planning. During the international Congress of the Society of Ethnopharmacology in Cape Town, South Africa in October 2024, I (Anywar Godwin) was privileged to deliver a key note address and share my experience on how to become successful ECR. I got a lot of positive feedback. I have distilled these ideas into seven practical steps. Being an ECR entails several common features including the need to: establish a professional identity and develop into an independent researcher, compete for grants and increase one’s output of research publications.

 

1. Have a career development plan

Essentially, this is a well-though out and written document mapping out one’s desired career goal and path. The plan should be as detailed as possible: It should be clearly divided into short term, mid-term and long-term career goals with clear strategies to get there. A good career plan should take into consideration a balanced life. This means planning for things like healthy lifestyle, family, and spirituality, because they ultimately contribute to one’s successful career. Remember, a career plan isn’t cast in stone. You should visit your plan from time to reflect and recast it. A plan is like an architectural blue-print to which ECR refers from time as they build their career.

 

2. Pursue your passion with purpose 

   Find a research area that genuinely excites you. Passion fuels persistence, and persistence is key to overcoming the inevitable challenges in scientific research. What drives you as you pursue your career? I consider what I do a calling, something I can pursue without having to be paid for it. For instance, my fascination with medicinal plants began at a young age, influenced by the rich biodiversity of Uganda and the traditional knowledge of plant-based remedies. I channeled this passion into a career focused on exploring how phytochemicals in plants can provide solutions to pressing health challenges.

 

3. Commit to lifelong learning

Science is ever-evolving, and staying relevant requires continuous learning. You have to invest in expanding yourexpertise, to keep up with new and emerging trends and the cutting edge of technology. Some of the critical skills one needs to learn include grantsmanship, scholarly writing, data analysis and using artificial intelligence to support different aspects of research. It is important to join professional bodies or associations as part of networking. Today, a wide range of free online resources is available from universities, research institutions, publishers, and professional organizations including Rising Scholars (formerly AuthorAID). However, once these skills are acquired, they must be applied consistently and shared with others to retain them effectively.

 

4. Embrace collaboration 

Participation in strong collaborative research projects with colleagues, mentors, and communities is a cornerstone to becoming a successful ECR. Multi-disciplinary and transdisciplinary research teams provide a richer, more dynamic, and diverse learning experience. While joining such teams can be challenging, it is important to be mentally prepared so that when the opportunity arises, you are ready to contribute fully and make the most of it. Be ready to work the extra-hours take initiative. Be willing to take on extra duties, assignments and responsibilities and volunteer to do more. In the process, you open yourself up to learning, and line-up yourself for future opportunities. This strategy worked particularly well for me.

 

5. Build resilience

Research is rarely a smooth journey: limited funding, failed experiments, family and personal life challenges, health, heavy workloads, competition for scholarships, jobs, funding and lack of mentorship are all there to be overcome. Remember it is OK to fail and in many ways, failure is a better teacher than success. It is unrealistic to live without stress and anxiety. A certain degree of anxiety can push you to stay focused and committed to manage anxiety, depression and stress. Remember resilience is a defining trait of successful scientists. Learn to view setbacks as opportunities to refine your methods and grow stronger in your resolve.

 

6. Communicate your science 

This is an important aspect of knowledge dissemination and improving one’s visibility. Therefore, learn how to communicate your research findings to various audiences; from technocrats to the lay people. This requires learning multiple skills such as scholarly and non-scholarly writing. Also, use the different channels for disseminating your work including academic publications, public lectures, or policy briefs, and leveraging the power of social media. Social media platforms are playing an increasingly important role in research communication, professional networking, promoting research opportunities, and recruiting graduate and post-doctoral students. One can easily follow and connect with potential or actual mentors, employers’ experts and funders. Remember, the value of your work increases exponentially when it is shared effectively.

 

7. Give back to science and community

This can be done through various ways such as peer-reviewing, mentoring, and giving seminars. Various resources and tools are freely available on-line from various institutions and some of the leading publishers. Enlist as a peer reviewer on a voluntary basis and hone your skills during the process by regularly reviewing. There is much to learn during this process. Success is not just about personal achievement but also about lifting others along the way. Mentor, teach, and inspire to leave a lasting legacy. There is certainly a lot of pressure on ECR to publish because they are assessed basing on our research output, especially in the academia, but also in grant applications and jobs. As an ECR you need someone who has walked this journey to guide you. One can and should actually have more than one mentor. I encourage ECRs to secure both local mentor(s) and international mentor(s) especially in areas where local expertise may not be available. Some organisations offer formal mentorship programmes for ECR such as the African Academy of Sciences, Rising Scholars and the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA). One can sign up or apply for these programmes where they are matched to specific mentors after identifying areas of interest. Before identifying a mentor, carefully think of the specific areas where you will need mentorship and share these with the prospective mentor. Avail yourself to mentor others as well.

 

In conclusion, becoming a successful early-career researcher requires a blend of strategic planning, passion, continuous learning, resilience, and collaboration. By following the seven outlined steps—developing a career plan, pursuing a passion, embracing lifelong learning, collaborating, communicating effectively, giving back, and seeking mentorship, ECRs can navigate career challenges and thrive in this competitive and challenging world full of opportunities. Success is not just about personal accomplishments but also about supporting and inspiring others, particularly ECRs within the scientific community.

 

Second image: Alex Shuper on Unsplash

 

Thumbnail image: Rising Scholars member and course participant, Hazvinei Mang'anda