SCUDD offers support to early career academics through Early Career panels at its annual conference. Additionally, we hold a mailing list of early career academics, and we are always happy to add someone new to the list, so please contact us and introduce yourself. You are also more than welcome to join in the conversations on the general SCUDD mailing list.
SCUDD and Early Career Academics
‘Early Career’ status can take many forms: some early career academics are just beginning their first job after Ph.D. graduation, others have worked in the HE sector for many years and are beginning a research career, others have an extensive career in industry prior to joining HE. Early Career academics undertake a vast range of roles, including teaching, administration, and research. Many have the advantage of mentors or role models in their departments, but some do not. The AHRC defines early career academics as those who are either within eight years of being awarded their Ph.D., or within six years of their first full-time contract in a teaching and/or research post.
SCUDD wants to reflect the diversity of early career experiences in the diversity of our provision for early career academics. Panels at the SCUDD conferences in Wolverhampton (2013) and Aberystwyth (2014) were put together through consultation with a range of academics who consider themselves to be early career.
If you have suggestions for ways in which SCUDD can represent and support early career academics, then please get in touch.
Early Career Definitions
Different funding sources and academic bodies use different definitions of ‘early career’ status. The SCUDD definition is deliberately inclusive, however, for reference, definitions by some of the key funding bodies are given below. Please note that funding bodies can define ‘early career’ in relation to specific awards, and awards may have additional criteria to early career status.
1. Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Criteria: within eight years of the award of Ph.D. (or professional training), excluding career breaks OR within six years of first academic appointment.
British Academy
Criteria: within ten years of award of doctorate.
Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships
Criteria: within five years of Ph.D. viva AND have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post in UK university.
If there is a funder whose definition you would like to add to this list, please contact us.