Early Career Researchers
The NGED's Early Career Researchers Committee was established in 2006 to implement
Network initiatives that promote the interaction among young scientists within
the Network.
ECR Committee Contact Details
1st NGED ECR Scientific Meeting
Moreton Bay Research Station, 28 - 30 November 2007
As a new initiative of the NGED ECR Committee, the 1st NGED Early Career Researcher
Scientific Meeting was held at the Moreton Bay Research Station on North Stradbroke
Island from 28th to 30th November 2007. Conducted as an initiative of the NGED
ECR meeting, the conference had the following aims:
1. To foster collaboration and encourage interaction between ECRs within the
NGED.
2. To provide an opportunity to present current research in a collaborative/non-competitive
environment.
3. To provide ECRs with knowledge on cutting edge techniques.
4. To make effective use of the ECR budget for a scientific meeting with an
ECR-focus.
39 early career researchers representing 21 laboratories within the network,
all presented their current research. Topics included Developmental Physiology,
Developmental Biology, Epigenetics, Genetics, Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology,
Embryology and Biochemistry – encompassing all components of the NGED community.
The conference also included sessions aimed at assisting and developing ECR
members within the network. The first of these was “The three stages of
a research career” where Beverley Mulhausler (Physiology, University of
South Australia), Andrew Pask (Zoology, University of Melbourne) and our laboratory
heads Rob Richards (Genetics, University of Adelaide), Marilyn Renfree (Zoology,
University of Melbourne) and Emma Whitelaw (Epigenetics, Queensland Institute
of Medical Research) spoke on the transitions from PhD to Postdoc, Postdoc to
mid-career researcher and mid-career researcher to laboratory leader. These
talks gave the attendees an idea on what path these members took in obtaining
their fellowships/position, but it was reiterated that we should each strive
out on our own journey to obtain our goals.
 The second
session was “Grant writing/applications/opportunities” where our laboratory
heads gave us wonderful insight into NH&MRC funding, ARC funding and the
keys to collaborations.
The meeting was viewed as a success with extremely positive feedback obtained
from the attendees. The Committee plans that this will become a regular event
on the NGED ECR Calendar. Special thanks needs to be extended to the staff at
Moreton Bay Research Station whom looked after us and fed us so magnificently
over the 3 days.
Our sponsors, Bioline and Quantace for their support in providing awards for
the best PhD and Postdoc speakers. These were deservedly won by Mark Mazzuca
and Andrew Pask respectively, but all presenters deserve recognition for the
outstanding quality of the presentations.
Graeme Polglase
NGED ECR Committee
2007 NGED Early Career Researcher Meeting
Early career researchers assembled this year at Palm Cove on 12 June 2007, a day
before the NGED Forum started, for a short programme to help the ECRs meet each
other, and provide mentorship and career advice. The ECRs found it useful to have
the 24 hours to get to know each other before the Forum started. Many ECRs had
not met people from other NGED labs, and this day helped ECRs interact for the
duration of the Forum and communicate more freely; a little more like the lab
heads some of whom have known each other for a long period of time.
 We
started with a session for the ECRs to introduce themselves to each other, and
Dagmar Wilhelm, the retiring Chair of the ECR Committee, reminded the ECRs of
the aims of NGED and the ECR committee benefiting ECRs. This includes a proposed
meeting that is being planned primarily for NGED ECRs at North Stradbroke Island
28-30 November, 2007.
Hugh Kearns, Head of Staff Development and Training, Flinders University, (www.flinders.edu.au/staffdev/phd.htm)
ran two sessions and gave an entertaining after dinner speech.  His
sessions were carried out in a way that promoted interaction among the ECRs.
In his first session he spoke about the way our own thinking prevents us from
working effectively. He told us that we have "automatic negative thoughts"
(ANTs) that are often detrimental to us, and gave us ways of turning these into
"more accurate thoughts" (MATHs). He gave us many examples of negative
thinking, to try to help us identify which of these happen to us. Hugh's second
session explained seven techniques that should help Ph.D. students successfully
and happily complete their thesis. These were useful for Ph.D. students, and
many of the points were useful for post-docs for their own sake, and potentially
for the sake of students they participate in supervising. ECRs received material
at the course which outlines these.
The ECRs' meeting finished with a Mentor Lunch with several mentors in round
table discussion with ECRs. Thank you to the mentors who participated: Dr. Ruth
Arkell, Dr. Jean Finnegan, A/Prof. Mary Wlodek, A/Prof. Marie Dziadek, Prof.
Richard Harding, Dr. Simon Koblar, Dr. Klaus Matthaei, A/Prof. Murray Whitelaw,
Dr. David Walker. They talked about issues that affect people all through their
career. It was interesting for many to hear how many common experiences there
are that affect them. ECRs who attended the Forum are encouraged to share the
information they were presented to interested people in their respective laboratories.
Hugh Morgan, NGED ECR Committee
2006 NGED Early Career Researcher Meetings
 At
the recent NGED forum at Palm Cove, Queensland, two breakfast meetings were
held for the early career researchers of the network. The first meeting was
a series of speakers at different aspects of their career, giving very informative
and unique advice on how they reached their current position. Different aspects
of scientific career paths were given by early postdoctoral fellows, NH&MRC
postdoctoral and RD Wright fellowship holders, senior institutional scientists,
and laboratory heads. It was an excellent opportunity for all ECRs to really
appreciate and understand what is required to succeed in science, and what is
important in the eyes of reviewing committees at all steps of the scientific
career paths. All speakers gave unique insights into their journey to establish
themselves as scientists and each provided inspiration and motivation to all
ECRs present, although the future is always a daunting proposition.
 The
2nd of the breakfasts was a mentor meeting held with senior laboratory heads
of the NGED, answering preset and specific questions from the ECRs. This forum
was seen as an excellent opportunity to get some quality time with senior members
of the NGED, and indeed, of the Australian Scientific community. The topics
covered ranged from specific advice about publications, scientific societies,
students, grant and fellowship writing, to the more personal questions regarding
family life, children, and finding the right balance in life. The topics covered
and the advice given will appear shortly on the NGED ECR website, as well as
recommendations and future directions uncovered at the conference. The two breakfast
meetings were highly successful, and the NGED ECR Committee would like to extend
our sincerest thanks to all the speakers and mentors who devoted their valuable
time to assisting ECRs within the Network, and also all the ECRs whom attended
the early breakfast meetings, and participated in the discussions so readily
and enthusiastically.
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Session 1 - Taking the next step
Session Chair: Graeme Polglase
Total number attending: 38 ECRs (+ 6 other speakers)
A) Early Postdocs (30 mins total - 3)
Andrew Siebel
Hugh Morgan
Miles De Blasio
B) "Senior" Postdocs (30 mins - 4)
Andrew Pask
Dagmar Wilhelm
Megan Wallace
Adam Hart
C) Independent researchers (20 mins - 2)
Karen Moritz
Claire Roberts
D) Laboratory heads (20 mins - 2)
Peter Koopman
Jean Finnegan
The following are important to "build" and strengthen your CV:
- Publications (quantity, but also quality)
- Grants, awards, etc. (even small grants help)
- If possible get teaching experience, ie. sessional lecturing, supervising
students, PBL tutoring
- Service to discipline and the community (ie. organise seminars, conferences,
volunteer for committees, review for journals and funding bodies, etc.)
General advice/handy hints:
- Have faith in yourself
- Be active:- if nobody asks you to write a review or organise a seminar, come
up with your own ideas
- Plan ahead: if you start one stage of your career (e.g. PhD), get information
about what is necessary for the next stage (requirements for applying for fellowships,
grants, etc) in the first year - that gives you the maximum time to work on
your CV to be eligible and competitive to apply for these things when the time
comes.
- Networking: make contacts whenever and wherever you can, attend conferences,
visit labs, give talks, talk to people at meetings
- Be passionate: work hard, choose a project that you can be excited about,
have lots of ideas, carve out your own niche
- Find good mentors - not just your supervisor
Session 2 - Mentor Meeting
The session was attended by 38 early career researchers and 8 senior scientists
(Mary Wlodek, Joan Heath, Murray Whitelaw, Sandra Rees, Stuart Hooper, Sally
Dunwoodie, John Bertram). In round table discussion (1 mentor and 5-7 ECRs)
the following issues were discussed:
1. Time management
-Balance between research, teaching & administrative duties (relevant to
Postdocs)
-Learn when it is that you work best (relevant to PhD students)
-Work efficiently
2. The importance of networking
-Attending conferences, NGED meetings
-Setting up collaborations
3. Work/life balance
-Get some! It's important that you keep up your extracurricular hobbies/interests
4. Teaching experience
-How important is teaching experience during PhD and/or Postdoc?
-Try to get involved with demonstrating/tutoring as a PhD student
-Put you hand up to give a lecture as a Postdoc
-Pros and cons of academic vs research-only position
5. Student supervision
-This will come with experience, it's important to be a co-supervisor and watch
how the lead supervisor handles things
-Complete training/courses through the University
6. Self-awareness
-Know what your strengths and weaknesses are, work on your weaknesses and play
to your strengths
7. Becoming independent
-Has the scenery changed for researchers? Is it now more important to be a good
collaborator, rather than having all of the skills in your own lab?
-Start to write research grants, etc. to become more independent
8. Finding a Postdoc position
-Is it better to go to a big lab and get lots of publications OR better where
you may be the only Postdoc and the mentoring will be more focused and supportive?
-This really depends on the type of person/character/personality you are
-It is important to be in a world-leading lab
9. Big vs small lab?
-AS ABOVE
10. Have your own research focus
-This is essential as a Postdoc to have your "own baby".
-Apply for "independent" funding to get a project started
-This increases opportunity for 1st author publications
11. Overseas experience
-Is it essential to work overseas?
-It is more important to be up to date with what is happening in the field by
attending conferences, visiting labs and setting up collaborations
12. Non-science careers
-There is life outside of science. However we encourage everyone to stay in
the industry
13. Authorship on papers
-This should be brought up with a supervisor (PhD or Postdoc) early when the
project is being designed and the work is being divided up
-This can be a sensitive issue, but there are guidelines to follow, such as
the Joint NHMRC / AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practice (1997):
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/funding/policy/researchprac.htm
-Important to have 1st author papers to make the next step
14. Professional society membership
-Once again for networking possibilities, being a member of professional societies
in your field is a good idea
15. Grant writing - the hard sell
-Grant writing is an art, and the only way you learn is by experience
-It is important to sell the project and yourself (track record)
-Don't be afraid to let people know how good you are and what you are capable
of
-Start writing/reading/reviewing grants early in your Postdoc
16. Promotion criteria
-Whilst it is not the first thing most people think of when they start a job,
it is important to know what you need to do to be eligible for promotion
-Work out what are the local requirements and start working towards "ticking
the right boxes"
-Get involved in Department/Institute/University functions/committees to have
a say in the direction of your work environment
17. Identify good mentors
-At every stage of your career, it is important to have good mentors around
you to help/support you
-Think about who would be a great mentor, and then ask them whether they would
have time to talk to you/be your mentor
-Think outside the square, not just in your immediate lab/field/uni
18. Admin/teaching/research balance
-As a Postdoc, there is extra pressure to be involved in not only research,
but other things
-Having a balance and a broad CV is a positive, but don't get caught doing too
many "other" things
The ECR committee would especially like to thank all of the mentors who gave
up their time and valuable opinions at the Mentor breakfast.
Here are their contact details if you would like to follow up on any of these
issues outlined above:
Mary Wlodek m.wlodek@unimelb.edu.au
Joan Heath joan.heath@ludwig.edu.au
Murray Whitelaw murray.whitelaw@adelaide.edu.au
Sandra Rees S.Rees@unimelb.edu.au
Stuart Hooper Stuart.Hooper@med.monash.edu.au
Sally Dunwoodie s.dunwoodie@victorchang.unsw.edu.au
John Bertram John.Bertram@med.monash.edu.au
Research Scholarships
1. JASON - Joint Academic Scholarships Online Network
http://www.jason.edu.au/
JASON is a Postgraduate Scholarship Database for Australia and search engine
that contains information about postgraduate scholarships. The scholarships
in the database apply to Australian students wishing to study at home or abroad,
and to international students wishing to study in Australia.
2. NHMRC Scholarships
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/fellows/apply/granttype/scholars/index.htm
The aim of the Scholarships scheme is to support outstanding Australian health
and medical graduates early in their career so that they can be trained to conduct
research that is internationally competitive and develop a capacity for original
independent research. This is usually achieved by NHMRC funding its scholars
to attain a PhD by full-time research.
NGED members to contact for further information: Mary
Wlodek
3. ARC
http://www.arc.gov.au/arc_home/default.htm
· NGED members to contact for further information:
Clayton Matthews (ARC Special
Research Centre for the Molecular Genetics of Development - Australian Postgraduate
Award)
4. Higher Education Section - The Australian Online
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/sectionindex1/0,5745,aushighered%255E%255ETEXT,00.html
Includes a linked list of scholarships available from Australian universities,
as well as other higher education resources.
5. University/State Research Scholarships
-Refer to your local scholarships office page/link through associated institution.
Research Fellowships
1. NHMRC Fellowships
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/funding/types/list.htm
The NHMRC provides funding for all areas of research relevant to human health
and medical research. This page provides a comprehensive list of the NHMRC's
funding types.
· NGED members to contact for further information:
CJ Martin
Cathie Coulter (CJ Martin & RD Wright) catherine.coulter@adelaide.edu.au
Greg Harper (CJ Martin-Meat & Livestock Australia) gharper@mla.com.au
Wendy Ingman (CJ Martin-Robertson Lab) wendy.ingman@adelaide.edu.au
Hugh Morgan (CJ Martin-O'Neill Lab) morganh@med.usyd.edu.au
Andrew Pask (CJ Martin & RD Wright) a.pask@zoology.unimelb.edu.au
Peter Doherty
Karen Moritz (Peter Doherty & RD Wright-Bertram Lab) Karen.Moritz@med.monash.edu.au
Owen Prall (Peter Doherty-Harvey Lab) o.prall@victorchang.unsw.edu.au
Andrew Siebel (Peter Doherty-Wlodek Lab) asiebel@unimelb.edu.au
Craig Smith (Peter Doherty-Sinclair Lab) craig.smith@mcri.edu.au
RD Wright
Stuart Hooper (RD Wright & SRF) Stuart.Hooper@med.monash.edu.au
Michelle Lane (RD Wright-Thompson Lab) michelle.lane@adelaide.edu.au
Melissa Little (RD Wright) M.Little@imb.uq.edu.au
Andrew Sinclair (RD Wright) andrew.sinclair@mcri.edu.au
SPRF
Patrick Tam (SPRF) ptam@cmri.usyd.edu.au
2a. ARC Federation Fellowships
http://www.arc.gov.au/grant_programs/discovery_federation.htm
The Australian Research Council's Federation Fellowships are innovative and
highly prestigious awards designed to develop and retain Australian skills.
· NGED members to contact for further information:
Marilyn Renfree m.renfree@unimelb.edu.au
2b. ARC Discovery - Projects
http://www.arc.gov.au/info_users/researcher_fellowships.htm
The ARC funds research fellowships under Discovery, Linkage and Centres programs
within the National Competitive Grants Program. Research Fellowships include
Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (APD), Australian Research Fellowship and
Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship (ARF/QEII) & Australian Professorial Fellowship
(APF)
· NGED members to contact for further information:
Peter Koopman (ARC Discovery Project/APF & ARC Discovery Project/ARF) p.koopman@imb.uq.edu.au
Danielle Hickford (Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship - APD) d.hickford@zoology.unimelb.edu.au
3. The Australian Academy of Science - International
Scientific Collaborations Program
http://www.science.org.au/internat/index.htm
Fellowships from the UK to Australia, Postdoctoral Fellowships to Korea, Japan
Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellowships, etc.
· NGED members to contact for further information:
Peter Koopman (AAS - Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Invitation Fellowship)
p.koopman@imb.uq.edu.au
4. Humboldt Fellowships
http://www.avh.de/en/programme/index.htm
For German researchers to work in Australia or Australian researchers to work
in Germany.
· NGED members to contact for further information:
Dagmar Wilhelm d.wilhelm@imb.uq.edu.au
5. University/State Fellowships
-Refer to your local funding page/link through associated institution.
6. Other Fellowships
· NGED members to contact for further information:
Janna Morrison (National Heart Foundation of Australia Fellowships-McMillen
Lab) Janna.Morrison@unisa.edu.au
Melissa Little (Sylvia and Charles Viertel Senior Research Fellowship) M.Little@imb.uq.edu.au
Greg Harper (NIH Fogarty International Fellowship, Meat Research Corporation,
International Travelling Fellowship & JSPS Invitational Visiting Fellowship)
gharper@mla.com.au
** ECRs must keep in mind that fellowship rules can
(and usually do) change from year to year - so even if you receive advice from
a successful applicant, all of the same criteria may not be applicable for the
next round of funding.
Grants / Research Funding
1. SPIN - InfoEd International
http://www.infoed.org/new_spin/spinmain.asp
2. Grantslink - Your Government Community Grants Site
http://www.grantslink.gov.au/
This website helps you find funding available under a variety of grant programs
from individuals, businesses and communities to help them to develop solutions
to local and national problems, fund ideas and initiatives or provide assistance
in times of hardship.
3. Philanthropy Australia
http://www.philanthropy.org.au/
Philanthropy Australia promotes giving and represents those that give to the
community. We Facilitate, Advocate, Educate, Communicate, and Promote giving,
working to ensure that the difference you make is rewarding for both the public
good and yourself as a member of this generous community.
4. GrantSearch Database
http://www.grantsearch.com.au/
GrantSearch is Australia's original and most comprehensive funding database,
with ~3,000 sources of financial support for study, travel & research.
5. University/State Grant Funding
Refer to your local research office page/link
Awards / Prizes
Australian Academy of
Science (Supporting scientific visits to the United States of America, Canada
and Mexico in FY2007–2008)
Prime
Minister's Science Prizes
Travel Support
1. NGED - Network for Genes & Environment in Development
http://www.nged.adelaide.edu.au/programs/
The Network in Genes and Environment in Development will provide a unique opportunity
for Australian researchers to develop new collaborations, partnerships and training
opportunities in areas of development research which are targeted to address
fundamental questions of international significance and which will yield world
class outcomes.
2. The Churchill Trust
http://www.churchilltrust.com.au/
The Churchill Trust provides fellowships to enable Australians to undertake
a period of overseas study, or an investigative project, which is not available
in Australia.
3. Fulbright Scholarships
http://www.fulbright.com.au/
Information on scholarships offered by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission.
4. The Rhodes Scholarships Australia
http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/rhodes/
A history and details of the Rhodes Scholarships to Oxford University, including
frequently asked questions and application details.
Most major funding bodies and foundations also have
travel awards available at different times throughout the year.
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