Situating early career researchers within a dynamic research and innovation ecosystem

Abstract

For many early career researchers (ECR) in the UK, impact is ‘part of the job’ and for doctoral researchers an important part of their professional development. However, there is much to learn and much to do. For ECRs, learning to adapt and seize emergent opportunities is key to thriving in this tumultuous environment. As universities become more entrepreneurial in nature, in response to the shifting policy priorities and resultant marketization of higher education, researchers too need to react and adapt to decide where they fit into the picture. Research impact asks difficult questions of the ECR population and those who manage and support them. Indeed, it asks ECRs to consider the very purpose of their research and to shift their thinking from a preoccupation with advancing knowledge to thinking about how the knowledge they produce intersects with economic or social development and change.