Changing Academic Life

Jean Paul, a Senior Scientist, shares insights on Sandpit funding, impact-focused research, and transdisciplinary collaboration. From her PhD journey to leading projects, she discusses innovative research funding models, stakeholder engagement, and the challenges of interdisciplinary work. Exploring mental health research design, transdisciplinary projects, and transitioning to social science research, Jean's podcast highlights the importance of impactful and collaborative research approaches.

This episode is an edited extract from a ‘Beyond Phrenology’ podcast episode where Dr Madhur Mangalam chatted with me about the impacts of research funding challenges on academic culture and individual well-being. The conversation addresses the need for a shift towards more supportive and diverse cultures, the complexities of academic career paths, and the importance of leadership, mentorship and job crafting. We also discuss the implications of international academic norms on individual career choices.Overview:[00:00:43] Research Funding Challenges and the Unsustainability of Current Models[00:04:57] Promoting Emotional Intelligence and Leadership in Academia[00:15:14] Navigating Career Paths Across Contexts[00:24:38] On Privileged Positions and Playing the Game[00:29:02] Wrapping up[00:30:53] EndRelated Links:Madhur Mangalam, University of Nebraska at OmahaBeyondPhrenology (YouTube)BeyondPhrenology (Spotify)Daniel Goleman – Emotional IntelligenceCAL99 episode: On research identity, meaningful work and fundingTEDx talk from 2016: The craziness of research funding. It costs us all.  Online Academic Leadership Development Course – sign up by March 7 2024!

Reflecting on the journey of the podcast, the hosts discuss their initial inspiration and the value of learning from challenges. They share their experience of overcoming technical challenges and finding and interviewing guests. The chapter reflects on diverse interviews and personal development in academic life. Expressing gratitude towards listeners, the hosts discuss the impact of the podcast in encouraging academics and increasing its reach. The speaker expresses gratitude towards the listeners and contributors, discusses the development of a new website, and celebrates the 100th episode.

This podcast explores the tensions between academic freedom and funding constraints. It discusses strategies for navigating research identity and finding meaningful work within these constraints. The episode also highlights the challenges of aligning research topics with funding opportunities and the trade-offs involved in pursuing passion projects outside of formal frameworks.

Dr Katta Spiel is an Assistant Professor at TU Wien, a recent ERC Starting Grant recipient, and a good colleague of mine. In part two of our conversation, Katta discusses being neurodivergent, and experiences with ADHD, and being an activist for change with an example of how gender is dealt with in research, and about 'epistemic plurality and the importance of making space for different ways of being and knowing. They conclude by advocating for respectful curiosity about individual experiences and allowing others space to perform their best work. They also argue for a lab culture where personal needs can be discussed and respected, suggesting this encourages more open dialogue and a supportive environment.This conversation picks up from Part one where Katta shared their experiences on topics like career uncertainty, proposal rejections, coming out as queer, chronic health issues, being successful, and notions of normativity. Overview:[00:00:00] Introduction[00:01:56] Personal Journey with Neurodivergence[00:06:42] Strategies for Navigating Neurodivergence[00:10:05] Dealing with a world not made for Neurodivergence[00:15:39] Creating a Supportive Environment for Neurodivergence[00:20:12] The Intersection of Neurodivergence and Activism[00:26:19] Embracing different ways of being and knowing[00:33:27] Final Thoughts on Neurodivergence and Inclusivity[00:35:44] My final reflections[00:38:06] EndRelated links:Katta's personal web page, TU Wien web page, LinkedIn page, and announcement about their ERC Starting GrantGender paper: Katta Spiel, Oliver L. Haimson, and Danielle Lottridge. 2019. How to do better with gender on surveys: a guide for HCI researchers. interactions 26, 4 (July-August 2019), 62–65. https://doi.org/10.1145/3338283Hanne de Jaegher https://hannedejaegher.net

In this short episode I reflect on the podcast season so far and on my own year of transitions. And I offer some prompt questions to help us reflect on what we have achieved and learnt this past year and encourage us to take some time to savour and celebrate it.Overview:00:05 Introduction01:32 Podcast highlights05:50 Transitioning to a new phase7:35 Reflection prompts10:17 Gratitude & looking forward13:26 End

Dr Katta Spiel is an Assistant Professor at TU Wien, a recent ERC Starting Grant recipient, and a good colleague of mine. In the first part of this two-part conversation Katta shares their experiences on a range of topics like career uncertainty, rejection of proposals, coming out as queer, having a formal gender change, dealing with chronic health issues, and being successful in receiving a prestigious research council grant. Dr. Spiel's struggles and successes reflect their unyielding effort to change academic life for the better. An emphasis is also placed on the importance of authenticity and uncompromised approach when applying for grants. Part two of the conversation with Katta will delve deeper into the topic of neurodivergence and their ADHD experiences.Overview:0:00 Introduction02:42 Navigating Identity and Academia07:06 Exploring Alternative Career Paths09:37 The Journey to Recognition and Success10:34 Challenges and Triumphs in Grant Applications23:07 Understanding the Difference Between Access and Accessibility25:48 Personal Journey of Gender Identity and Health33:58 Experiences with Chronic Health Issues38:10 The Impact of Body Shape on Medical Treatment40:16 The Role of Technology in Access and Inclusion43:23 EndRelated Links:Katta's personal web page, TU Wien web page, LinkedIn page, and announcement about their ERC Starting GrantPeople: Raja Kushalnager, Christian Vogler , Abraham Glasser

There were some technical hiccups in Part 2 of my conversation with Irina Shklovski, making the original audio I released very choppy (a lesson in not relying on smart tools!). I’ve uploaded new audio version that is much easier to listen to and doesn't chop off words. So this is an encouragement to you to listen to this now as it is such an important raw honest conversation and Irina shares so many useful ideas about coming back from burnout and learning to be enough, do enough. I include a clip from that conversation as a teaser. Overview:00:00 Intro00:29 Addressing Technical Issues on Irina Part 201:52 Revisiting Irina's Conversation02:35 Snippet from Irina's Conversation04:13 Encouragement to Listen to Part Two04:30 Outro05:25 EndEpisode: Irina Shklovski Part 2

In this short episode I pick on the notion of self-compassion from the discussion with Mark Reed last week, and go back to Kristin Neff’s work and other related self-compassion researcher to unpack the three components of self-compassion and some practices for cultivating self-compassion and also point to some of the research evidence base for the benefits of self-compassion. I also share my own experience in needing to apply self-compassion this week. Overview:00:29 Introduction01:27 Replaying Mark Reed on self-compassion02:26 An overview of self-compassion06:37 Examples of self-compassion practices08:24 My self-compassion experience11:25 Example research evidence base17:45 Back to Mark20:24 EndFor atranscript to follow automatically with the audio: https://share.descript.com/view/JxbMM1C5ZIZ Related Links:The podcast conversation with Mark Reed Kristin Neff’s Self-Compassion web page Neff, K., Hsieh, Y. & Dejitterat, K. Self-compassion, Achievement Goals, and Coping with Academic Failure. Self and Identity, 4, 263-287, 2005. DOI: 10.1080/13576500444000317 Zessin, U., Dickhäuser, O. & Garbade, S. The Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis. Health and Well-Being, 7(3), 340-364 2015Ewert, C., Vater, A. & Schröder-Abé, M. Self-Compassion and Coping: a Meta-Analysis. Mindfulness 12, 1063–1077 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01563-8Lee, K.J., Lee, S.M. The role of self-compassion in the academic stress model. Curr Psychol41, 3195–3204 (2022).https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00843-9Dreisoerner, A., Klaic, A., van Dick, R. et al. Self-Compassion as a Means to Improve Job-Related Well-Being in Academia. J Happiness Stud 24, 409–428 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00602-6Phillips WJ, Hine DW. Self-compassion, physical health, and health behaviour: a meta-analysis. Health Psychol Rev. 2021 Mar;15(1):113-139. Doi:10.1080/17437199.2019.1705872. Epub 2019 Dec 22. PMID: 31842689.Neff, K. Self-Compassion: Theory, Method, Research, and Intervention. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 2023. 74:193–218. Acknowledgement: Episode artwork image of person hugging themselves: Photo by Hala Al-Asadi on Unsplash

Professor Mark Reed is an academic, author, podcaster, consultant, trainer, policy advisor among his many roles. His research area is on ecosystem markets and environmental governance, and he studies how researchers can generate and share their knowledge so they can change the world. Reflecting both of these strands, he is both an academic, co-directing a research Centre at Scotland’s Rural College, and he is the founder of Fast Track Impact, a training and coaching company, and he hosts The Fast Track Impact podcast. He also has a host of other roles you can read about on his web page. We discuss the concept of 'impact' in academia, the challenges of mental health and burnout amongst academics, and the importance of self-compassion, self-reflection and self-care. Driven by a desire to make a difference, Mark intertwines his academic inquiries with a commitment to environmental stewardship and decolonizing research. He also talks about his commitment to empowering colleagues, managing postdocs efficiently, and his take on the biases and limitations within the academic system.Overview00:05 Introduction00:30 Meet Professor Mark Reed: A Multi-faceted Academic01:18 The Importance of Self-Reflection in Academia01:56 Mark's Personal Struggles and the Importance of Self-Compassion02:07 The Role of Purpose and Values in Mark's Work02:56 Mark's Journey as an Academic and Policy Advisor07:23 The Challenges and Biases in the Academic System08:32 Building a Compassionate Culture in Academia11:33 Decolonizing Research and Influencing Policy27:11 The Role of Empathy and Love in Research32:13 The Importance of Self-Care and Work-Life Balance in Academia48:05 Creating a Purposeful Workplace and Leading from the Bottom Up51:24 Conclusion: The Impact of Love and Empathy in Academia52:56 EndListen here for a version to follow the transcript linked directly to the audioRelated LinksMark's research web page & Fast Track Impact pageMark’s books: https://www.fasttrackimpact.com/books#impact-cultureThe Research Impact Handbook  2nd Ed 2018The Productive Researcher 2017Impact Culture 2022 Mark’s ‘The Fast Track Impact’ podcast seriesMark Reed & Hanna Rudman, Re-thinking research impact: voice, context and power at the interface of science, policy and practice, 18, Sustainability Science, 967-981, 2023.Richard Watermeyer's 2019 book: Competitive Accountability in Academic Life: The Struggle for Social Impact and Public LegitimacyDr Kristin Neff, Uni of Austen Texas on self compassion Prof Michelle Pinard, Uni of Aberdeen