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Explore every episode of the podcast Research Adjacent

Dive into the complete episode list for Research Adjacent. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
Ally Hughes, Project Manager (Episode 51)10 Sep 202400:32:41

Ally is building partnerships across the life sciences research community

Ally Hughes is Project Manager for the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance, also known as SULSA. SULSA fosters research collaborations between different organisations, different disciplines and even different countries.

Sarah and Ally talk about:

  • Her current role which keeps her connected to research with lots of variety and learning opportunities
  • Brokering research collaborations between Scotland and Germany and tackling diversity in STEM
  • How an industrial placement and being a student rep for SULSA opened her eyes to the job possibilities beyond academia
  • Mental health challenges, especially during her PhD, and the professional and personal support that pulled her through
  • Why greater cooperation and collaboration are key to tackling massive global challenges

Find out more

 

About Research Adjacent

[Replay with new intro] Boundaries (Episode 14)27 Aug 202400:12:19

Sarah is on holiday so we are revisiting an episode from April 2023 all about boundaries and work-life balance. 

Sarah talks about

  • Why setting and holding boundaries can be particularly challenging in the research-adjacent world
  • Setting boundaries and taking leave as a form of quiet activism
  • Managing expectations and managing our own behaviour
  • Why we are all, always, a work in progress

Find out more

All the things (Episode 42)23 Apr 202400:17:25

Updates, guests and podcast recommendations with Sarah

Sarah shares

  • An update on where you can listen to and follow Research Adjacent
  • Upcoming guest appearance, special episodes and Sarah’s new project
  • Your opportunity to suggest podcast guests via this form
  • A podcast recommendation – check out The Academic Adventures Podcast
  • What else she is up to

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Suggest guests or topics for the podcast on this form

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Susan Shanks & Alice Millard, Archivists (Episode 41)09 Apr 202400:29:53

Susan and Alice are cataloguing the past for the researchers of the future

Susan Shanks and Alice Millard are archivists working on the New Jerusalems new towns archive project. Susan is based at County Durham Records Office while Alice is based at West Sussex record Office.

Sarah, Alice and Susan talk about

  • How they took different routes to the same job
  • Finding satisfaction in uncovering forgotten stories and putting things in order
  • Balancing access and preservation for archival materials
  • The headaches caused by constant digital progress

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage https://sarahmclusky.com/susan-shanks-alice-millard-archivists-episode-41  

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack

Suggest guests or topics for the podcast on this form

Kath Burton, Publishing Professional (Episode 40)26 Mar 202400:35:43

Kath is growing connections in humanities publishing

Kath Burton works in humanities development at the academic publisher Routledge Taylor and Francis. She is also a community gardening enthusiast with Incredible Edible Reading.

Sarah and Kath talk about 

  • Exploring new ways of sharing scholarly knowledge
  • The surprisingly pragmatic reason for her move into academic publishing
  • Why she feels privileged to be part of the research conversation
  • Activism and launching the journal Porn Studies
  • Her passion for connecting communities through gardening 

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage https://sarahmclusky.com/kath-burton-publishing-professional-episode-40

  • Connect with Kath on LinkedIn
  • Find out about all of her projects including community gardening via her Linktr.ee

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack  

Suggest guests or topics for the podcast on this form

Naomi Tyrrell, Research Consultant (Episode 39)12 Mar 202400:32:17

Naomi has found freedom and fulfilment in an Alt Ac career

Naomi Tyrrell is director of research consultancy business Research Your Way and founder of the Alt Ac Careers Facebook group.

Sarah and Naomi talk about 

  • How coaching and thinking like a researcher helped her step into self-employment
  • Finding community on social media
  • Why she values the freedom of freelance life
  • The satisfaction she gets from helping charities and social enterprises

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage https://sarahmclusky.com/naomi-tyrrell-research-consultant-episode-39

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack  

Suggest guests or topics for the podcast on this form

Nick Sheppard, Open Research Advisor (Episode 38)27 Feb 202400:30:07

Nick Sheppard is an Open Research Advisor at the University of Leeds and UK Wikimedian of the Year 2023.

Sarah and Nick talk about

  • How the conversation, and his career, has moved from open access to open research
  • Why Wikipedia is a great tool for sharing research and democratising knowledge
  • The different challenges for open research in different disciplines
  • Resources for anyone interested in a career in open research 

 

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack  

Suggest guests or topics for the podcast on this form

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Sam Steele, Research Centre Managing Director (Episode 37)13 Feb 202400:39:06

Sam is at the cutting edge of the cultural conversation.

Sam Steele is Managing Director of the Centre for Creativity Enabled by AI at Bayes Business School.

Sarah and Sam talk about

  • Sam’s meandering career from music journalist to research adjacent
  • Why embracing our human weirdness is key to using AI effectively
  • Differences between the worlds of music, catering, and academia
  • The importance of encouraging creativity in schools

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack

Suggest guests or topics for the podcast on this form

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Sarah Ashworth, Research Careers Consultant (Episode 36)30 Jan 202400:24:07

Sarah is helping researchers reimagine their future

Sarah is a Researcher Developer at University of Manchester and an independent Careers Consultant.

Sarah and Sarah talk about

  • the 'planned happenstance' that took her from microbiology to careers
  • why every day is a learning day and how that has boosted her career
  • how her own journey helps her support researchers struggling to make a career change

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack  

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John Elvin, Industry Programme Manager (Episode 35)16 Jan 202400:34:47

John is advocating for applied science

John Elvin is Industry Programme Manager at The Royal Society.

Sarah and John talk about 

  • His career in the biotech industry
  • The mechanical balance that led to an outreach project for 3500 children
  • How much industry contributes to research and development
  • Why every undergraduate student should do an industry placement 

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

 

 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack  

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Write a 'ta-da' list (Episode 34)02 Jan 202400:06:31

Happy New Year! In this solo episode Sarah invites you to start the year by looking back before you look forwards.

Sarah talks about

  • Why, controversially, she likes New Year more than Christmas
  • How to write a 'ta-da' list rather than a to-do list
  • Why taking time to reflect on what felt good in 2023 can help you follow through on your goals for 2024

If you have feedback, questions or topics you'd like the podcast to cover, or suggestions for guests please submit them here.

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack  

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Review of 2023 (Episode 33)19 Dec 202300:20:49

The Research Adjacent podcast is one year old!

In this episode Sarah reflects on 2023 talking about

  • Why she started the podcast
  • How the podcast has grown over the year
  • What it has been like to step into the role of podcast host
  • Reactions to the term 'research-adjacent'
  • Her most memorable moments

If you have feedback, questions or topics you'd like the podcast to cover, or suggestions for guests please submit them here.

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Celebrating 50 Episodes (Episode 50)13 Aug 202400:21:45

Sarah looks back on the first 50 episodes of Research Adjacent.

Sarah invites a number of past guests to reflect on what being part of the podcast has mean to them. This includes

  • Connecting with new people
  • Self-reflection
  • Embracing the term research-adjacent
  • Boosting confidence
  • Feeling like part of a community
  • Giving something back

What has Research Adjacent meant to you? Please let Sarah know!

Catch up on the guests featured in this episode

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Charlotte Stephenson, Research Facilitator (Episode 32)05 Dec 202300:35:28

Charlotte is a 'human signpost' for researchers

Sarah's guest for this episode is Charlotte Stephenson, a Research Facilitator at Leeds University Business School.

Sarah and Charlotte talk about 

  • Why she tries to be the friendly face of research development
  • How she transferred her research communications skills to grant writing
  • The work she is doing to uncover and address inequalities in who gets research funding

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack  

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Emma Perfect, Business Development Manager (Episode 31)21 Nov 202300:30:46

For this episode Sarah is talking to entrepreneur turned business development manager Emma Perfect.

Emma talks about 

  • How her career started with glowing fungi 
  • The ups and downs of life in a small business
  • The way her current role is feeding her curiosity
  • Why start-ups need strong business skills as well as a great product idea

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack  

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Resilience (episode 30)07 Nov 202300:30:29

Sarah offers a framework for thinking about and building resilience

Sarah talks about

  • What resilience means to her
  • The inevitability of change
  • Why resilience is such a key skill in research environments
  • How to strengthen resilience by building skills, drawing on practical tools and managing our mindset

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Join the Research Adjacent Substack  

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Saneeya Qureshi, Ipshita Ghose & Jennifer Leigh, Researcher Developers & Vitae Award Nominees (Episode 29)24 Oct 202300:57:03

Saneeya, Ipshita and Jennifer are making an outstanding contribution

Recorded live at the Vitae Researcher Developer Conference in September 2023, Sarah interviews the nominees for the Vitae Outstanding Contribution Award.

The guests are

  • Saneeya Qureshi is the Head of Researcher Development and Culture at the University of Liverpool
  • Ipshita Ghosh is Head of Research Strategy and Development, Social Sciences, at the University of Birmingham
  • Jennifer Leigh is Reader in Creative Practices for Social Justice, at the University of Kent

Saneeya, Ipshita and Jennifer talk about 

  • Squiggly careers and following their curiosity
  • Creating culture change
  • Collaboration over competition
  • Equity and inclusion

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage https://sarahmclusky.com/saneeya-qureshi-ipshita-ghose-jennifer-leigh-researcher-developers-vitae-award-nominees-episode-29 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter https://researchadjacent.substack.com/ 

Hamish McAlpine, Innovation Consultancy Director (Episode 28)10 Oct 202300:29:37

Hamish is facilitating ‘impact at scale’

Sarah talks to Hamish McAlpine, Director of Policy and Engagement at innovation consultancy Oxentia.

Hamish talks about

  • The thread of knowledge exchange running through his career
  • Why talking about pathways to impact can be less intimidating and more inclusive than commercialisation
  • What universities and elephants can have in common
  • The importance of good data for making sound decisions

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage https://sarahmclusky.com/hamish-mcalpine-innovation-consultancy-director-episode-28 

Connect with Hamish on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamish-mcalpine-a1400417/ 

Complete the podcast survey 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/resadjacent/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/resadjacent/ 

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter https://subscribepage.io/subscribeSMcL 

Vicki Aldmington, Careers Consultant (Episode 27)26 Sep 202300:23:13

Vicki wants us to be more career curious.

Sarah talks to Vicki Aldmington, a Careers Consultant at the University of Reading.

Vicki talks about

  • Her meandering career path
  • How she draws on her experience to support students and alumni
  • Why one-to-one consultations can be more satisfying than big projects
  • What being career curious means to her

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Vicki on LinkedIn

 

Complete the podcast survey

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Steph Sinclair, Science Communications Manager (Episode 26)12 Sep 202300:27:16

Steph is sharing research to help tackle cancer.

Sarah talks to Steph Sinclair, Science Communications Manager at Worldwide Cancer Research. 

Steph's insights include;

  • Transitioning from a university to a charity
  • Feeling more connected to the research
  • Creative collaborations
  • Making things better for women in science

Complete the podcast survey

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Steph on Twitter and LinkedIn

 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Lessons from the first 25 episodes (Episode 25)29 Aug 202300:11:37

Sarah reflects on what she has learned about being research-adjacent

This is a solo episode with Sarah McLusky discussing some of her key takeaways so far, including these nuggets...

  • No-one has a straightforward career path
  • Opportunities can come from unexpected places
  • Being research-adjacent is all about people and transferable skills
  • Having a research background can be helpful, but it’s definitely not essential

Complete the podcast survey

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Lorna Wilson, Research Development and Operations (Episode 24)15 Aug 202300:24:42

Lorna is leading research development and research developers

For this episode Sarah is talking to Lorna Wilson, Director of Research Development and Operations at Durham University, and chair of ARMA.

Lorna talks about

  • Her journey from temp to the top
  • The added value that research development experts can bring  
  • Why ARMA has been a huge support throughout her career

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Lorna on Twitter or LinkedIn

 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Sam Alexandra Rose, Patient and Public Involvement Manager (Episode 23)01 Aug 202300:26:47

Sam uses her own experiences to help improve research involvement

For this episode Sarah is joined by Sam Alexandra Rose, a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Manager at Bowel Research UK.

Sam talks about

  • Why patients are the most important people in health research
  • Her journey from bowel cancer patient to PPI manager
  • Breaking down stigma and ‘getting comfortable being uncomfortable’

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Sam on Twitter, Instagram or visit her personal website

 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Katrina Roberts, Researcher Placement Manager (Episode 49)30 Jul 202400:29:42

Katrina is helping researchers inspire and educate the next generation

Katrina is Head of Tutor Engagement at The Brilliant Club, a charity which places PhD students in schools to support less advantaged pupils.

Sarah and Katrina talk about

  • Why teaching research to school pupils is amazing for skills development
  • How the instability of early career academia led her to a research-adjacent path
  • The Brilliant Club’s mission to tackle inequality through education
  • Embracing the responsibilities of being a people manager 

Find out more

 

About Research Adjacent

Simon Cutler, Business Relationship Manager (Episode 22)18 Jul 202300:31:39

Simon is making friends and sparking opportunities

Sarah is joined by Simon Cutler, a Business Relationship Manager at the University of Reading.

Simon talks about

  • How he turned from 'poacher to gamekeeper' and back again
  • Why he loves meeting new people, making connections and sees everyone as a potential friend
  • The satisfaction he gets from supporting young researchers in particular

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect to Simon on LinkedIn

 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Alice Cann, Research Librarian (Episode 21)04 Jul 202300:23:29

Alice is helping find the right resources to enable research

For this week’s episode Sarah is joined by Alice Cann an academic Liaison Librarian at Brunel University London.

Alice talks about

  • How academic librarians can make a big difference to research
  • Why her role is constantly changing and evolving
  • The confidence she gained from being part of the Research Catalyst Cohort

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect to Alice on LinkedIn and Twitter

Find out applying to join the Research Catalyst Cohort in 2023/24

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Peter Barker, Audiovisual Content Creator (Episode 20)20 Jun 202300:30:14

Peter is boosting research impact through creative communication.

For this week’s episode Sarah is joined by Peter Barker, audiovisual content creator, founder of Orinoco Communications, and host of the Research Comms podcast.

Peter talks about

  • How his career evolved via documentary-making and public engagement
  • The satisfaction of creating impactful and boundary-pushing videos and animations
  • Why his podcast is all about building community amongst research communicators

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect to Peter on LinkedIn

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Ged Hall, Research Impact Specialist (Episode 19)06 Jun 202300:35:22

Ged wants to shape the future of research impact culture

For this episode Sarah chats to research impact specialist Ged Hall.

Ged talks about

  • Being a career magpie
  • The differences between R&D in industry and academia
  • Why we all need to be part of the research culture conversation

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect to Ged on LinkedIn and Twitter

Listen to the Research Culture Uncovered podcast

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

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Anja Roeding, PRISM Network Founder (Episode 18)23 May 202300:32:42

Anja is co-creating research environments and gathering odd socks.

For this week’s episode Sarah is joined by Anja Roeding, research manager and founder of the PRISM Network. 

Anja talks about

  • Her 'wiggly, winding path' from research to research-adjacent
  • How frustration led her to gather up all the other 'odd socks' and create the PRISM Network
  • Why the system needs to better recognise all the people who contribute to co-creating research environments

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect to Anja on LinkedIn and the find out more about the PRISM Network

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Edwin Colyer, Agency Founder (Episode 17)09 May 202300:29:42

Edwin is joining the dots between communications, engagement and impact.

Sarah's guest for this episode is Edwin Colyer, founder of the research communications and engagement agency, Scientia Scripta.

Edwin talks about

  • Copyediting for David Attenborough, writing for New Scientist and painting pictures with words
  • The joys of having colleagues and being able to create your own workplace culture
  • Moving from just telling impact stories to helping create them
  • Building a business that connects the dots between communication, engagement and impact

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect to Edwin on LinkedIn 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Jenny Brady, Coach & Facilitator (Episode 16)25 Apr 202300:35:25

Jenny wants to give researchers permission to show up authentically.

For this week’s episode Sarah is joined by researcher developer and business coach Jenny Brady.

Jenny talks about

  • The joy and challenges of being research-adjacent when you were never a researcher
  • The importance of playfulness and curiosity
  • Why she wants researchers to show up authentically and connect to the value of their work

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect to Jenny on LinkedIn and Twitter

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Sign up for Research Adjacent Round-Up monthly newsletter

 

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Matthew Partridge, Cartoonist (Episode 15)18 Apr 202300:31:49

Matthew Partridge, Cartoonist (Episode 15) | Matthew wants to help us see the funny side of science

For this week’s episode Sarah is joined by Matthew Partridge, cartoonist and founder of ErrantScience.com.

Matthew talks about

  • His journey from biochemistry to research-adjacent cartooning
  • Why he is motivated to share the realities of life in the lab
  • Why being 'terrible at art' is no barrier to creating cartoons
  • What goes into live cartooning a 24h online chemistry poster session 

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Visit the ErrantScience website or connect with Matthew on Discord, Mastadon or Instagram

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Boundaries (Episode 14)11 Apr 202300:11:37

Boundaries (Episode 14) | Sarah is out of the office, and she means it this time!

This week’s episode is a holiday special all about boundaries and why it can be so hard for research-adjacent folks to really take time off.

Sarah addresses

  • Why setting and holding boundaries can be particularly challenging in the research-adjacent world
  • Setting boundaries and taking leave as a form of quiet activism
  • Managing expectations and managing our own behaviour
  • Why we are all, always, a work in progress

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn and Twitter

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Melissa Hobson, Science Writer (Episode 13)04 Apr 202300:32:09

Melissa Hobson, Science Writer (Episode 13) | Melissa just wants to write stories about cool fish

For this week’s episode Sarah is joined by freelance science writer Melissa Hobson who specialises in marine science and conservation.

Melissa talks about

  • How learning to scuba dive prompted a career change
  • What it’s like to be a science writer without a science background
  • Why she celebrates getting rejected
  • Her top tips for success, which include reading and eating cake! 

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Visit Melissa’s website or connect on LinkedIn 

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Helen White & Danni Elster, Experts by Experience (Episode 48)16 Jul 202400:36:24

Helen and Danni are using their experiences to help improve womb cancer research.

Helen and Danni are both volunteers for the Peaches Womb Cancer Trust Patient Voices group.

Sarah, Helen and Danni talk about

  • How the group grew from one voice to Patient Voices
  • The difference they have made to research especially around language and ethics
  • Why contributing to research can help bring meaning and comfort following a cancer diagnosis
  • What research teams could be doing to work more effectively with patients

 

Find out more

 

Contribute to the 50th Episode by 30 July 2024

 

About Research Adjacent

 

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Lorraine Coghill, Science Outreach Specialist (Episode 12)28 Mar 202300:18:40

Lorraine Coghill, Science Outreach Specialist (Episode 12) | Lorraine wants to give people permission to be curious

This week Sarah is talking to science outreach specialist Lorraine Coghill, currently Deputy Director of Science Outreach and Engagement at Durham University.

Lorraine talks about

  • Why her work is really about people rather than science
  • Encouraging curiosity, creativity and problem solving
  • What can happen when you put young people in charge
  • Tackling the invisibility of public engagement professionals

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Lorraine on LinkedIn 

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

Good Work, Precarity and Contracts (Episode 11)21 Mar 202300:18:38

Good Work, Precarity and Contracts (Episode 11) | Sarah explores the good, the bad, and the ugly of research-adjacent job contracts

This week's Research Adjacent podcast is another solo episode. Host Sarah McLusky explores some common issues around contracts in the research-adjacent sector.

Sarah explores

  • What characterises ‘good work’
  • Jargon busting - the difference between fixed term, open-ended and fractional contracts
  • Why open-ended isn’t always better
  • Toxic practice to watch out for
  • When short contracts might be the right thing for you
  • Making the most of a fixed term contract

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn and Twitter

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Abraham Mamela, Communications and Engagment Specialist (Episode 10)14 Mar 202300:33:43

Abraham Mamela, Communications and Engagment Specialist (Episode 10) | Abraham explains why communication only works if you understand the context

What do you think of Research Adjacent so far? If you have any feedback or suggestions for guests or topics please contact Sarah via the podcast website www.researchadjacent.com via Twitter @ResAdjacent or connect on LinkedIn.

This week’s guest is Abraham Mamela. Based in Botswana, Abraham is a communications and engagement practitioner currently working at the Alliance for African Partnership.

We talk about

  •   How Abraham learned the importance of connecting communication and engagement
  • His time as an intern and engagement fellow at Wellcome
  • Communicating genome research through comics
  • Why the research ecosystem in Africa needs to focus more on engagement

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Abraham on LinkedIn and Twitter

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Orla Kelly, Knowledge Exchange Manager (Episode 9)07 Mar 202300:27:27

Orla Kelly, Knowledge Exchange Manager (Episode 9) | Orla talks about encouraging innovation and connecting people

This week’s guest is Orla Kelly, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation (KE&I) Collaboration Manager She is based at University of the West of Scotland but works across all 19 of Scotland’s higher education institutions.

We talk about

  • What it means to have an entrepreneurial mindset
  • How she moved from academia to industry and back
  • Why it’s the small things that make the biggest difference
  • Why KE&I isn’t all about the sciences
  • And weighing pigs…honestly!

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Orla on LinkedIn and Twitter

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Faye Watson, Public Engagement Manager (Episode 8)28 Feb 202300:32:27

Faye Watson, Public Engagement Manager (Episode 8) | Faye talks about rising through the ranks and making engagement better for everyone

This week’s podcast guest is Faye Watson, a rising star in the engagement world. Faye has recently joined at the College of Medical and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh as their Public Engagement with Research Manager.

We talk about

  • Her rapid rise through the public engagement ranks
  • Why she quit her PhD to become research-adjacent
  • Working in virus research engagement during COVID
  • Improving career prospects, sharing power and encouraging creativity in public engagement

Read the full show notes on the podcast webpage

Connect with Faye on LinkedIn and Twitter

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent

Theme music by Vitaliy Levkin from Pixabay

Mary Robson, Creative Facilitator (Episode 7)21 Feb 202300:29:06

Mary Robson, Creative Facilitator (Episode 7) | Mary shares her arts-based approach to creating meaningful connections and allowing space for different opinions

For episode 7 of Research Adjacent my guest is (we think) the UK’s only full-time university-based Creative Facilitator, Mary Robson. Mary works at the Institute for Medical Humanities at Durham University.

We talk about 

  • What creative facilitation is and how it helps in research
  • Creating meaningful connections between diverse groups
  • Holding space for different experiences and opinions
  • Challenging the academic status quo
  • Sharing her creative facilitation approach

Read the full show notes on the podcast website 

Find out more about Mary and her work here: Creative Facilitation Unit at the Institute for Medical Humanities, Durham University

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent.

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Getting A Research-Adjacent Job (Episode 6)14 Feb 202300:20:12

Getting a research-adjacent job (Episode 6) | Sarah shares some advice for finding and landing your next (or first) research-adjacent job

Short-term contracts and lack of promotion opportunities mean that research-adjacent professionals are often hunting from their next job. While Sarah can’t guarantee you’ll land that job, she does have some advice to help you improve your chances including:

  • Where to find research-adjacent jobs
  • How to boost your chances of being shortlisted
  • What to expect in interviews
  • What happens next - how to handle ghosting, feedback, and learning for next time
  • Two top tips for improving your chances of landing any job you want

Read the full show notes on the podcast website 

Find out more and sign up for Sarah's Get Shortlisted training on Mon 27 Feb, 5pm

Contribute to the Twitter research-adjacent jobs thread here 

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent.

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Duncan Yellowlees, Presentation Skills Trainer (Episode 5)07 Feb 202300:27:27

Duncan Yellowlees, Presentation Skills Trainer (Episode 5) | Duncan talks about telling stories, building confidence and doing things differently

For episode 5 of Research Adjacent my guest is freelance presentation skills trainer Duncan Yellowlees. Duncan trains researchers to communicate better, helping them tell stories about their work, connect with different audiences, and collaborate more effectively.

We talk about 

  • why building confidence in presenting spills over into all other parts of life
  • why being a researcher is quite like being a freelancer
  • why Duncan wants to ban academic posters and hopes to one day see more creative and interactive conferences - maybe even with puppet shows!
  • why he thinks training in communication skills should be a core part of every university qualification

Read the full show notes on the podcast website 

Find out more about Duncan and his work here: Duncan Yellowlees Training

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent.

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Nina Ruddle, Civic Mission Champion (Episode 4)31 Jan 202300:29:19

Nina Ruddle, Civic Mission Champion (Episode 3) | Nina is on mission to make a real difference across North Wales

For episode 4 of Research Adjacent I chat with Nina Ruddle. Nina leads the Civic Mission Partnership Strategy at Wrexham Glyndwr University.

We talk about 

  • How growing up in North Wales led to a passion for social and economic regeneration
  • The importance of showing up with curiosity and humility to build genuine, collaborative relationships
  • Why her deep local knowledge and public sector experience are invaluable
  • What it takes to really change things for the better

Read the full show notes on the podcast website 

Find out more about Nina and her work here: 

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent.

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Colin Wilkinson, Public Involvement Specialist (Episode 3)24 Jan 202300:26:35

Colin Wilkinson, Public Involvement Specialist (Episode 3) | Colin talks about the good, bad and ugly of health research involvement

For episode 3 of Research Adjacent I chat with Colin Wilkinson, a public involvement specialist, about the good, bad and ugly of health research involvement.

We talk about 

  • Colin's journey from steel chemist to public involvement specialist
  • His passion for improving science and research through engagement and involvement 
  • His recent contributions towards the Shared Commitment to Public Involvement
  • Advice for researchers and research-adjacent professionals looking to improve their collaborations

Read the full show notes on the podcast website 

Find out more about Colin and his work here: Corylus Services

The Shared Commitment to Public Involvement is a joint commitment by UK research organisations to bring about changes that will drive up standards in health and social care research. 

What did you think of this episode? Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent and share your thoughts using #ResearchAdjacent.

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Christian Tidona, Biotech Entrepreneur (Episode 47)02 Jul 202400:27:25

Christian unites industry and academia to tackle big health challenges

Christian is the founder and Managing Director of the BioMed X Institute in Heidelberg, Germany.

Sarah and Christian talk about

  • Why he jumped straight into entrepreneurship after his PhD
  • The biggest lessons he’s learned from multiple ventures
  • His current role as a ‘guardian of time’
  • The importance of mentors and mentoring

 

Find out more

 

About Research Adjacent

 

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Kirsty Ross, Public Engagement Professional (Episode 2)17 Jan 202300:24:55

Kirsty Ross, Public Engagement Professional (Episode 2) | Kirsty talks about doing engagement via Wikipedia, prisons and quilts, job precarity, and ADHD

For this episode of Research Adjacent I chat with Kirsty Ross, a public engagement and culture change professional with not one, but currently three jobs at the Universities of St Andrews and Strathclyde! 

In this episode we talk about 

  • How she got into working in public engagement
  • The challenges of juggling multiple jobs, short term contracts and ADHD
  • Projects she is proud of including Cell Block Science, Quilts for Cancer, using Wikipedia for impact and engagement, and the Fortissat Science Alliance Podcast

Read the full show notes on the podcast website

Follow Kirsty on Twitter @DrKirstyRoss and check out lots of the resources she has created on Figshare

 

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Introduction with Sarah McLusky (Episode 1)09 Jan 202300:13:49

Introduction to Research Adjacent (Episode 1) | Sarah introduces herself, the story behind the podcast, and previews upcoming episodes

It's time! Research Adjacent has been brewing for a couple of months now and I'm so excited to share the first episode with you. Most episodes will be an interview with a brilliant research-adjacent professional, but for today it's just me. 

I share the story behind the podcast including...

Find all episodes, blog posts, and sign up for notifications at www.researchadjacent.com

Follow the podcast on Twitter @ResAdjacent

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Jade Passey, Press Officer (Episode 46)18 Jun 202400:32:27

Jade is bridging the gap between science and marketing

Jade is Senior Science and Health Press Officer at The Brain Tumour Charity.

Sarah and Jade talk about

  • How a chemistry teacher crushed her dreams of becoming a vet
  • Transferable skills and learning on the job
  • Prioritising human connection over science
  • Why good research communication is essential for charities that rely on donations and fundraising

 

Find out more

 

About Research Adjacent

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Claire Toogood, Research & Insights Manager (Episode 45)04 Jun 202400:26:32

Claire Toogood, Research & Insights Manager (Episode 45)

Claire is developing HE careers advisors and careers advice through research

Claire Toogood is Research & Insights Manager for AGCAS, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services.

Sarah and Claire talk about 

  • Why research is valuable currency in universities
  •  Her squiggly career journey through both research and research-adjacent worlds
  • Thriving in varied roles and small organisations
  • Why everyone needs more time to think

Find out more

 

Follow the podcast on LinkedIn and Instagram

Suggest guests or topics for the podcast on this form

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