Protective or Precarious? The role of research centres in supporting ECRs in an uncertain higher education sector
Research centres (RCs) are a vital part of higher education (HE) institutions’ academic infrastructure. They foster collaboration, support innovation and connect universities with wider society. Centres have the potential to serve as epicentres of ethical knowledge production and researcher support, but recent research (Henderson et al., 2024) as well as the Research Centre Review Process at Warwick have revealed that more connectivity is needed between RC stakeholders to develop inclusive research culture practices. Centres often host Early Career Researchers (ECRs); in a rapidly changing UK HE sector, where concerns about finance prevail, there are questions as to whether RCs can provide nurturing environments for ECRs while managing financial and structural uncertainties.
- Through an "ECR Voice" panel, we will map current involvement of ECRs in RCs and discuss the duality of protection versus precarity within centres. Informed by an Institutional Stakeholder Panel
- The subsequent strategy session
- Will foster cross-centre collaboration. The ultimate goal is to generate robust, adaptable ECR Support Guide to build a supportive and sustainable research culture for ECRs in RCs at Warwick and beyond.
The anticipated number of event participants is 30 (including speakers).
This project is funded by the Warwick Spotlight Small Grant Scheme - Society & CultureThis project runs January to May 2026 |
Who works on the project?
Principal Investigator: Evan Zheng, Department of Education Studies, University of Warwick
Co-Investigator: Prof Emily HendersonLink opens in a new window, DEAR Centre, Dept of Education Studies